Supriya Sule honors late cousin Ajit Pawar on Raksha Bandhan

During Raksha Bandhan, Nationalist Congress Party MP Supriya Sule shared an emotional message on X about the passing of her cousin Ajit Pawar, emphasizing that his absence creates an irreplaceable void. She reminisced about growing up together, their occasional fights, and the deep affection they held for each other, expressing a wish that she could still tie a rakhi on him. Ajit Pawar's death occurred on the morning of January 28 when the Learjet 45 (VT-SSK) he was aboard crashed while attempting to land at Baramati airport in Pune district, killing all five occupants, including his security officer, a flight attendant and two pilots.

At the time, he was en route from Mumbai to Baramati to campaign for Zilla Panchayat elections. Pawar had served six terms as Maharashtra's deputy chief minister under four different chief ministers, making him one of the state's most senior politicians.