Munde was slated to fly from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to Latur to spearhead campaigning efforts for the upcoming Zilla Parishad elections. According to aviation officials, the Minister had arrived in the city via a chartered plane earlier that day and had already utilized the helicopter for campaign rounds. However, the flight to Latur was abruptly aborted after pilots flagged a critical technical issue during a pre-flight assessment
Reports from the Chikalthana airport authorities indicate that the fault was identified during a routine inspection conducted late Monday night by the aviation company. While the specific nature of the malfunction was not disclosed, the company immediately notified airport officials, grounding the aircraft to prevent a mid-air emergency
Addressing the media following the incident, Munde maintained a composed demeanor but noted the age of the vessel. "The helicopter was old," she remarked, adding that while she had observed the aircraft's condition, she had initially chosen to proceed with her schedule before the pilots intervened
A State in Shadows: The Baramati Tragedy
The anxiety surrounding Munde's grounded flight is intensified by the somber atmosphere currently gripping Maharashtra. Only days prior, on January 28, the state was rocked by the death of NCP leader Ajit Pawar, 66, in a fatal aviation accident
Pawar’s aircraft crashed at approximately 8:48 AM while attempting to land at Baramati airport in the Pune district. The veteran leader was en route from Mumbai for election campaigning when the tragedy occurred, claiming the lives of five individuals, including two pilots, a flight attendant, and Pawar’s personal security officer
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has since launched a comprehensive probe into the Baramati crash to determine the exact cause of the failure. As the state observes a period of mourning—marked by Pawar’s funeral with full state honours last Thursday—the safety protocols for VIP transport have come under intense scrutiny
Political Implications and Safety Concerns
Beyond the immediate safety concerns, the sudden vacuum left by Ajit Pawar’s passing has triggered significant political speculation regarding the future of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), with many questioning if a merger between the party’s two factions is now imminent.
The near-miss involving Pankaja Munde underscores the logistical pressures of the Zilla Parishad election cycle, where leaders frequently rely on aging private fleets to cover vast distances. As the AAIB continues its investigation into the Baramati disaster, this latest technical snag serves as a stark warning to civil aviation authorities to enforce more stringent maintenance benchmarks for political charters
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