'Ajit Dada Amar Rahe': Slogans, tears as villagers mourn Pawar at his Katewadi home
Baramati (PTI): Hundreds of mourners thronged the residence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar at his native village Katewadi near here on Thursday morning to pay their last respects to the leader who died in a plane crash.
Grief-stricken people from Katewadi and nearby villages in Pune district, joined by NCP workers, made a beeline outside the residence gates, chanting slogans such as "Ajit Dada Amar Rahe" and "Ajit Dada Parat Ya" (Ajit Dada please come back).
"A leader like him will not be born again," several mourners said, lauding his role in the region's development.
Pawar (66) was killed on Wednesday morning after the chartered Learjet crashed near the Baramati airstrip, around 100 km from Pune. Two pilots, a flight attendant and a personal security officer were also killed in the accident.
On Thursday morning, the mortal remains of Pawar were brought from the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Hospital in Baramati, where they were kept overnight, to his Katewadi village near Baramati.
With tears welling up, 65-year-old Katewadi resident Ganpat Thombre choked when asked to describe his feelings.
"It has been 24 hours since the tragic incident that took our leader away. I am still unable to come to terms with the fact that Dada (as Pawar was fondly called) is no more. A leader like him will not be born again," Thombre told PTI.
"Though he was the deputy chief minister, he paid keen attention to issues of Katewadi, Khatalpatta, Songain and other adjoining villages," he said.
Thombre said he knew Pawar personally, as the latter had helped his granddaughter secure admission to a medical college.
"He brought about transformation in this region by building good roads and schools. A leader of his stature will not be there again," he said, as tears rolled down his face.
Chandrakant Mali, who came from Ter in Dharashiv district, said Maharashtra has "lost a diamond".
Inside the premises where the mortal remains were kept for the last darshan, Ajit Pawar's wife and Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar, his sons Parth and Jay, and his younger brother Shrinivas Pawar accepted tributes from people with folded hands.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, his wife and son Amit, actor Riteish Deshmukh, and several other dignitaries were among those who paid tributes to Pawar at his residence in Katewadi.
After the final darshan at the residence, the mortal remains were taken to the sports ground of Vidya Pratishthan in Baramati, where the last rites will be held with full state honours.
VIDEO | Baramati: The hearse van carrying the mortal remains of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar moves towards Vidya Pratishthan ground for the last rites.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 29, 2026
The van is surrounded by thousands of supporters walking alongside, chanting tributes, and paying respects.
(Full video… pic.twitter.com/559a3NXxPz
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Mamata visits Bhabanipur EVM strong room, warns against counting irregularities
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee early Friday warned against any attempt to tamper with the counting process, hours after she visited an EVM strong room in Bhabanipur, alleging possible malpractice.
Banerjee, who emerged around 12:07 am after spending nearly four hours at the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency housed in Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, said only one person would be allowed inside the designated counting area.
"Either the candidate or one agent can stay upstairs. I have also suggested installation of a CCTV camera for the media," she told reporters.
Stressing the need for transparency, she said, "It is essential to maintain transparency. People’s votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter."
Sounding a stern note ahead of the May 4 counting, she added, "If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated."
On Thursday evening, Banerjee had reached the Bhabanipur Assembly segment counting centre, which houses the strong room for EVMs used in the April 29 polling, citing suspicion of tampering with the machines.
She entered the premises along with her election agent and remained inside for hours, even as Kolkata Mayor and TMC candidate from the Kolkata Port segment Firhad Hakim reached the spot but could not meet her.
"I reached here upon learning that the chief minister has arrived. But I couldn’t meet her since she was already inside the premises, exercising her right as a candidate to visit strong rooms. I wasn’t allowed there. I will not be able to confirm what exactly is transpiring inside," Hakim said.
The development coincided with protests by TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in north Kolkata, where they staged a sit-in alleging irregularities and possible tampering of EVMs stored in strong rooms, leading to face-offs between TMC and BJP supporters.
Earlier in a video message, Banerjee had urged party leaders, workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil on EVM strong rooms, alleging that the BJP could attempt to tamper with the machines before counting begins.
Her remarks come amid heightened political tension in the state following a fiercely contested Assembly election, with parties closely monitoring arrangements and raising concerns over transparency.
