Congress chief Kharge demands probe into Ajit Pawar plane crash
New Delhi (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said there should be a probe into the air crash in which Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others were killed.
Pawar was among the five killed after an aircraft carrying them crashed in Maharashtra's Pune district on Wednesday morning, officials said.
The Learjet 46, operated by Delhi-based VSR Ventures, crash-landed at the Baramati airport. There were five people on board, including the crew members, according to aviation regulator DGCA.
Kharge said Pawar's death was untimely and he was someone who worked for the people.
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"This has hurt everyone, including his family members, and we share their grief and pray that they can bear this loss," the Congress chief told reporters in the Parliament House complex.
Asked about West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee demanding a Supreme Court-monitored probe into Pawar's death in the plane crash, Kharge said there should be a probe as it was an accident.
"Everyone, all leaders, keep travelling for urgent work. But so many instances, we saw in Ahmedabad how a big plane crashed. This was a small plane, why this happened? It should be probed. We demand a probe," he said.
Earlier, in a post on X, the Congress chief said the news of Pawar's tragic death in the plane crash was deeply shocking and profoundly distressing.
"It is an untimely loss of a leader who had a long and promising political career ahead. No words can adequately express the immense grief that the bereaved family must be enduring during this difficult hour. I extend my deepest condolences to the entire Pawar family, his supporters and well-wishers," he said.
"Having served the people of Maharashtra in various constitutional capacities, Shri Ajit Pawar shall be remembered as a seasoned politician who discharged his responsibilities towards his people with sincerity and astuteness. May his soul rest in peace," Kharge said.
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UP SIR: Over 84 lakh voters added in final list, total electorate rises to 13.39 crore
Lucknow (PTI): Uttar Pradesh's electorate grew by over 84 lakh to 13.39 crore after the completion of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), according to the final voter list published on Friday.
Addressing a press conference at the Lok Bhawan Media Centre here, Uttar Pradesh's Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa said the SIR exercise was conducted from October 27, 2025, to April 10, 2026, covering all 75 districts, 403 assembly constituencies and polling stations across the state.
He said the 166-day exercise was carried out with the contribution of 75 District Election Officers (DEOs), 403 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), 12,758 Assistant EROs, 18,026 BLO supervisors and 1,77,516 Booth Level Officers (BLOs). In addition, 5,82,877 booth-level agents of recognised political parties and crores of voters extended cooperation.
Print, electronic and digital media also played a key role in awareness efforts, he added.
Rinwa said the draft electoral roll published on January 6, 2026, had a total of 12,55,56,025 voters, including 6.88 crore male voters, 5.67 crore female voters and 4,119 third gender voters.
The number of voters in the 18-19 age group stood at 3,33,981, while the gender ratio was 824 female voters per 1,000 male voters.
The final electoral roll published on April 10 shows the total number of voters at 13,39,84,792, he said.
Of these, male voters number 7,30,71,071 (around 54 per cent), female voters 6,09,09,525 (45.46 per cent) and third gender voters 4,206 (less than 0.01 per cent).
The number of voters in the 18-19 age group has risen to 17,63,360, accounting for 1.32 per cent of the total electorate. The gender ratio has also improved to 834 female voters per 1,000 male voters.
Comparing the draft and final rolls, Rinwa said the total increase in the number of voters is 84,28,767. This includes an increase of 42,27,902 male voters, 42,00,778 female voters and 87 third gender voters.
The 18-19 age group registered a rise of 14,29,379 voters, while the gender ratio improved by 10 points from 824 to 834, he said.
Among districts, Prayagraj recorded the highest increase in voters at 3,29,421, followed by Lucknow at 2,85,961, Bareilly at over 2,57,000, Ghaziabad at 2,43,666 and Jaunpur at 2,37,590.
The CEO said the successful completion of the revision exercise reflects coordinated efforts by election officials, political parties and voters across the state.
