Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed grief over the death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on Wednesday and said he was an able administrator and a consummate political organiser whose loss will be greatly felt.
CM Abdullah recalled his close association with the deceased Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)leader during his college days in Mumbai, when he stayed with Sharad Pawar and his family.
“Shocked to hear about the untimely demise of Ajit Pawar Saab. I’ve known Ajit da since my days in college in Bombay when I stayed with Sharad Pawar Saab and his family at Varsha. Ajit da was an able administrator and a consummate political organiser whose loss will be greatly felt,” Abdullah said in an X post.
“I join my father (National Conference president Farooq Abdullah) in sending our condolences to Sharad Pawar Saab, Supriya (Sule) and the entire family,” the chief minister wrote.
J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed grief over the death of Ajit Pawar and said that he served his state with distinction.
“It is with shock and deep sadness that I learnt about the untimely demise of Shri Ajit Pawar Ji. He was a widely respected leader who was committed to the well-being of the people and who served the Maharashtra with distinction. My condolences to his family and admirers,” the L-G said in an X post.
Pawar, 66, was among five people who were killed after a private aircraft carrying them crashed near his hometown Baramati in Pune district on Wednesday morning.
The Nationalist Congress Party leader was heading from Mumbai to Baramati, where he was scheduled to address rallies for the February 5 zilla parishad polls, when the crash happened.