Ajit Pawar’s Uttarakhand Connection: A 2006 Dehradun Memory Recalled After Baramati Plane Crash
Pawar's 2006 Dehradun visit, marked by a hotel room mix-up, highlighted his calm demeanour.
The plane crash in Baramati, Maharashtra, has plunged the country’s political circles into deep mourning. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was among five people killed in the accident, which occurred on Wednesday morning as a Learjet-45 aircraft attempted to land amid poor visibility while flying from Mumbai to Baramati.
According to available information, the aircraft made one “go-around” before attempting a second landing on the runway. Air Traffic Control had granted landing clearance, but no final “read-back” was received. Moments later, the aircraft caught fire near the edge of the runway, killing all five occupants on the spot.
What Happened During the Final Moments of the Flight
The crash took place during the landing phase under low-visibility conditions. After the second landing attempt, communication reportedly broke down in the final moments, following which the aircraft veered off near the runway and was engulfed in flames.
The tragic incident has led to widespread grief, with political leaders across party lines expressing shock over the sudden loss of Ajit Pawar.
Ajit Pawar’s 2006 Dehradun Visit
Ajit Pawar’s memories were also linked to Uttarakhand. In 2006, he had visited Dehradun to attend the Nationalist Congress Party’s national convention. Arrangements were made for his stay at a hotel on Rajpur Road, but confusion over room allocation led to an unusual situation in which Pawar waited at the hotel reception for nearly an hour.
This episode was recently recalled on social media by senior Congress leader and former Uttarakhand Congress vice-president Suryakant Dhasmana. He wrote that Pawar’s death in the plane crash was deeply painful and reminded people of his visit to Dehradun during the NCP national convention, when Dhasmana himself was the party’s state president.
Dhasmana said a room had been allotted to Pawar at Hotel Madhuban, but due to a mix-up, he had to wait for some time at the reception. When Dhasmana learned of the situation, he rushed to the hotel and apologised, addressing him as “Dada”. Pawar, he recalled, responded with a smile, saying that such minor issues happen during large events.
The incident, Dhasmana noted, reflected Ajit Pawar’s calm, simple and grounded nature, qualities that people in Uttarakhand still remember today.
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