The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday released the audio recording of Ajit Pawar’s last phone conversation before he died in a tragic plane crash near Baramati last week, saying the message reflected the senior leader’s core political beliefs till his final moments.

Ajit Pawar, 66, had spoken to party member Shrijeet Pawar shortly before taking off from Mumbai for Baramati on January 28. The aircraft, a Learjet 45, crashed during a landing attempt near Baramati airport, killing everyone on board.

According to the NCP, the audio has been made public to convey Pawar’s final message of unity, inclusiveness, and equality. In the conversation, Pawar emphasised the importance of taking along people from all religions and castes, underlining what the party described as his lifelong commitment to social harmony.

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Recounting the call, Shrijeet Pawar said he had earlier sent Ajit Pawar a message regarding a local political matter. As soon as Pawar’s phone came into network coverage, he returned the call. “Ajit Dada and I are from the same village. I had sent him a message, and he called me immediately when he got the signal. He told me clearly that we are taking all castes and religions along with us,” Shrijeet Pawar said.

In the audio, Ajit Pawar can be heard explaining that efforts had been made to ensure fair representation across communities. He specifically mentioned that the Mali community had been given representation in the Zilla Parishad from the Supe group, adding that justice had been extended to everyone to the extent possible. Shrijeet Pawar, in response, expressed trust in his senior leader’s judgement and supported whatever decision he deemed appropriate.

Explaining the decision to release the recording, Shrijeet Pawar said the party believed Ajit Pawar’s thoughts deserved to reach the wider public. “This is an attempt to bring this audio call recording to everyone’s attention so that Maharashtra knows what Ajit Dada’s thinking was until his last breath,” he said.

Ajit Pawar was travelling to Baramati to address four election rallies ahead of the local body polls. The aircraft took off from Mumbai around 8 am and crashed at approximately 8:45 am while attempting a second approach to land at Baramati airport. Sources have indicated that low visibility and possible pilot misjudgement may have contributed to the accident, though investigations are still underway.

Besides Ajit Pawar, those who lost their lives in the crash included his personal security officer, an attendant, pilot-in-command Sumit Kapur, and first officer Shambhavi Pathak.

Pawar’s death has sent shockwaves through Maharashtra’s political landscape, leaving a significant void in the NCP and state politics. Days after the tragedy, his wife, Sunetra Pawar, was sworn in as deputy chief minister, filling the vacancy created by the veteran leader’s sudden demise.

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