Ajit Pawar, NCP chief and Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister, died in a plane crash near Baramati on Wednesday while travelling from Mumbai, according to media reports. Four others, including the pilots and his security personnel, were also killed in the accident.

The small aircraft, a Learjet 45 operated by VSR, reportedly crashed during a landing attempt near Baramati airport about 45 minutes after taking off from Mumbai. Pawar was scheduled to attend a series of public meetings in the region ahead of the local body elections.

Television footage from the crash site showed fire and debris scattered across the area, with emergency services rushing to the spot. Media reports said all five people on board the aircraft died in the crash.

The 66-year-old leader was the nephew of Sharad Pawar and the cousin of Supriya Sule. Both leaders were in Delhi at the time of the incident and were expected to travel to Pune. Official statements from the party and the Maharashtra government were awaited at the time of reporting.

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