Ajit Pawar's Ashes to be Honored at NCP Office Amid Political Speculation

NCP State President and Member of Parliament Sunil Tatkare will perform the ritual worship (poojan) of the Asthi Kalash.

On Wednesday morning, Ajit Pawar, 66, died after the aircraft carrying him crashed while attempting to land at Baramati airport in the Pune district. The plane crash-landed near the runway threshold, killing all five people on board the chartered aircraft. Those killed included Pawar's personal security officer, a flight attendant and two pilots.

The crash took place at around 8.48 am. Pawar was travelling from Mumbai to Baramati to campaign for the Zilla Parishad elections.

His last rites were held with full state honours on Thursday at the Vidya Pratishthan ground in Baramati. His sons lit the funeral pyre and performed the final rituals.

Several senior leaders and dignitaries, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar, and actor Riteish Deshmukh, attended the funeral and paid their last respects.

On Friday, the ashes were immersed at Songaanv village, at the confluence of the Karha and Nira rivers, around 15 kilometres from Baramati. Sunetra Pawar, wife of the late leader, along with their sons Parth Pawar and Jay Pawar, and other family members, was present during the Asthi Visarjan ceremony.

Ajit Pawar's death has had a major impact on Maharashtra politics, with speculation emerging about a possible merger between the two NCP factions. Following his demise, Sunetra Pawar was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, filling the vacancy created by his death. With this, she became the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of the state.

Maharashtra Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, NCP state president Sunil Tatkare, NCP working president Praful Patel, and Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal were present at the swearing-in ceremony.

NCP leaders raised slogans of "Ajit Dada amar rahe" and "Bharat Mata ki Jai" during the event.

Meanwhile, Kiran Gujar, a member of Vidya Pratishthan and a close associate of the Pawar family, said on Friday that Ajit Pawar's last wish was to see the two factions of the party united.

However, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar dismissed the speculation. When asked whether he would consider joining the NDA if the two factions merge, he told reporters, "This is all going on your side. There is nothing like that here."

- ANI