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New Delhi: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash near Baramati on January 28. Soon after the crash, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee was the first to raise hackles over his death. Banerjee demanded an investigation monitored by the Supreme Court into Ajit Pawar's death, and raised questions purportedly linking the incident to his political trajectory. She had said, “Two days ago, I came to know that someone from another party had given a statement that Ajit Pawar was willing to leave the BJP (ruling alliance in Maharashtra), and now this has happened.”
The political storm over Ajit Pawar's death refuses to die down, with some Opposition leaders alleging that there was a conspiracy hatched. On Monday, Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut questioned the circumstances in which the crash occurred.
Raising serious doubts over the sudden and “suspicious” death of Ajit Pawar, he said “something is dubious” and a thorough investigation into the crash should be launched.
"Questions should be raised about Ajit Pawar's accident. These questions are being raised even within his own party. There's something fishy about this. Something must have happened behind the scenes," he said.
Raut claimed that Ajit Pawar was about to reunite the two factions of the NCP and had initiated talks with his uncle and party founder Sharad Pawar in the final phase of his life. He alleged that some people were against this reconciliation, as it would have “shut their shops”.
Raut reportedly said: "Ajit Pawar was about to return to his old house, but the BJP said they had the irrigation files. Then a mysterious accident occurred. Ajit Pawar made a statement a few days ago that he had some files on BJP leaders, and then accidents immediately followed. I've had my suspicions since day one. It was ingrained in my mind then. This means Ajit Pawar decided to leave the NDA. These people are suspicious. I will raise this issue in Parliament."
Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar also raised doubts over the speed at which succession discussions reportedly started within the NCP following news of his death.
Wadettiwar pointed out: "Ajit Dada's sudden death could be a conspiracy. This is a plot, and it should be probed. A conspiracy was hatched somewhere to prevent the two NCP factions from coming together, and that's why the Deputy Chief Minister's post was filled in such a hurry. Politics has become very dirty. Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel initiated Ajit Dada's inclusion in the NDA because they wanted to sleep peacefully at night."
Ajit Pawar's last rites were performed in Baramati on Thursday (January 29), and just two days later, on January 31, Sunetra Pawar was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister. There are reports that Sharad Pawar was not aware of the oath-taking ceremony of Sunetra Pawar and he was also not present in Mumbai for the event.
There's buzz that a merger between the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (the Sharad Pawar group and the Ajit Pawar group) had been underway and were said to be in their final stages. Sharad Pawar had stated at a press conference that an announcement in this regard was to be made on February 12. Several leaders from the Pawar group had also confirmed the merger discussions. However, following Ajit Pawar’s death, these talks have been disrupted. His faction has now refused to comment on the proposed merger.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has dismissed claims of merger talks. He has said that Ajit Pawar shared everything with him and that he was a witness to all developments. “We do not want to do politics over this. But if Ajit Dada was going to take any such decision, he would have discussed it with the BJP first,” Fadnavis said.
As the issue heats up, a senior Nationalist Congress Party leader has reportedly made a major claim. "There was a desire among party workers, from the grassroots to the top leadership, for both factions of the NCP to come together, and discussions were primarily held in that direction," said Dr Rajendra Shingne, senior leader of the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP and a former minister.
Adding more fire to the conspiracy chatter, NCP MLA Amol Mitkari pointed out that Ajit Dada’s travel route was suddenly changed at the last moment and that even the pilot was replaced abruptly. Mitkari questioned how not a single piece of paper was burnt while the bodies were charred, saying this raises several questions and fuels suspicion.
Taking to X, Mitkari posted some photos and also shared memories with Dada. He said, “Even now, no one’s mind is ready to accept that Dada is gone… I will not commit the sin of politicising his death. But these questions are troubling my mind.” His post has gone viral.
In his post, he wrote: “Six people reportedly died in the accident, so why were only five bodies actually found? Where did the sixth person go? Passenger lists are digitally recorded before take-off, so why this discrepancy? Not a single piece of paper appears to have been burnt??? Why was the pilot changed so many times? Asking questions is not spreading rumors…”
