Ajit Pawar’s final phone call, minutes before the chartered plane he was traveling in crashed in Baramati, according to accounts shared by his relatives, has emerged as a poignant reminder of the late NCP leader’s emphasis on inclusion.
Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash in Baramati on January 28. (Reuters)Sreejit Pawar, a relative of Ajit Pawar, recalled exchanging messages with him in the early hours of January 28 regarding the upcoming elections, during which Pawar stressed the need to move forward by uniting people of all religions and castes, news agency PTI reported.
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Srijit Pawar said he first sent a text message to Ajit Pawar and received a phone call from him at 8:37 am, where the leader reiterated that collective progress was his political approach. Sreejit Pawar sought representation of the Mali community in the upcoming Zilla Parishad elections and Ajit Pawar spoke of his efforts to ensure representation of all communities in the recorded conversation.
“I messaged him at 8:19 am while he was on board. As the plane came into network range, he called me at 8:37 am, just minutes before the accident. I wanted representation of the Mali community in the ZP elections,” Srijit Pawar said, as quoted by PTI.
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The late Maharashtra DCM referred to the appointment of Digambar Durgade of the Mali community as Chairman of the Pune District Central Cooperative Bank and giving Zilla Parishad tickets to candidates from the community.
Ajit Pawar and four others were killed when the Learjet 45 crashed near Baramati Airport on January 28, 200 meters from the runway. After his death, his wife Sunetra Pawar was sworn in as the DCM of Maharashtra, Governor Acharya Devabrata was sworn in in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and DCM Eknath Shinde.
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Meanwhile, Pawar’s death has sparked political speculation, with opposition leaders alleging foul play and demanding an independent probe, charges dismissed by the BJP, HT.com reported earlier.
As the accident investigation is underway, the aircraft wreckage has been shifted to Mumbai for detailed forensic examination and flight data and black box analysis.
(with PTI input)
