New Delhi: The sudden death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash has triggered political and historical parallels with one of independent India’s most consequential tragedies — the death of Sanjay Gandhi, son of then prime minister Indira Gandhi, in an air crash in 1980. In both cases, the loss of a powerful political figure has raised questions about leadership succession and the future course of politics.
Sanjay Gandhi was killed on June 23, 1980, when the aircraft he was piloting crashed in New Delhi. His death not only devastated Indira Gandhi personally but also altered the trajectory of the Congress party, paving the way for Rajiv Gandhi to enter politics. More than four decades later, Ajit Pawar’s death has similarly sent shockwaves through Maharashtra’s political establishment.
Ajit Pawar, a senior leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and a key figure in the state’s ruling dispensation, was among those killed when a chartered aircraft crashed near Baramati. The incident has led to an outpouring of grief across party lines and sparked uncertainty over the future leadership of the NCP faction he led, as well as the stability of political equations in Maharashtra.
A seasoned administrator and mass leader, Pawar played a pivotal role in Maharashtra politics for decades. His abrupt exit has left a vacuum, with party leaders and allies assessing the political fallout in the days ahead.
Indian Leaders Who Died in Aviation Accidents
Ajit Pawar’s death adds to a grim list of Indian political leaders whose lives were cut short in aviation-related tragedies:
Sanjay Gandhi (1980): Congress leader and son of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, killed in a plane crash in New Delhi.
Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (2009): Then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, died in a helicopter crash in the Nallamala forests.
Madhavrao Scindia (2001): Senior Congress leader and Union minister, killed in a plane crash near Kanpur.
GMC Balayogi (2002): Ganti Mohana Chandra Balayogi, then LS Speaker and a senior Telugu Desam Party leader, died in a helicopter crash on March 3, 2002, in Andhra Pradesh’s West Godavari district.
OP Jindal and Surender Singh (2005): Industrialist and Haryana Power Minister OP Jindal, along with former Union Minister Surender Singh, son of ex-President Shankar Dayal Sharma, were killed in a helicopter crash in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on March 31, 2005.
Dorjee Khandu (2011): Then Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister, died in a helicopter crash in Tawang district.
Vijay Rupani (2025): Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among the 241 people killed in the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad.
Ajit Pawar (2026): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, died in a chartered aircraft crash near Baramati.
Gurnam Singh (1973): Former Punjab Chief Minister Gurnam Singh was reported to have died in a plane crash in Delhi on May 31, 1973.
