His final phone call, made just before the accident, has become a poignant subject of discussion. When his last audio clip was played at the Baramati party office, party workers were unable to hold back their tears. Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash on January 28 at Baramati.
Shreejit Pawar, an NCP worker from Katewadi, had the final conversation with Ajit Pawar.
He shared details of their last interaction. Shreejit had sent a message to ‘Ajit Dada’ regarding some work at 8.19 a.m. Since the plane was likely in the air, there was no immediate reply. However, as the aircraft approached for landing and regained signal range, Dada promptly called Shreejit back at 8.37 a.m. During the brief interaction, Shreejit raised a local issue for inquiry.
In his signature decisive and no-nonsense style, Pawar replied, "I will call you back later," before hanging up to prepare for the landing. Tragically, this proved to be his final conversation. Only nine minutes later, at 8.46 a.m., the aircraft met with a horrific accident during its landing attempt at Baramati. Ajit Pawar spoke with Shreejit Pawar for about one minute.
In this conversation, the same passion for work and spirit of inclusivity were evident in his voice. "I wasn't so important that Dada had to call me right during landing," Shreejit remarked emotionally, "but it was his nature to reply to every message."
According to Shreejit, Ajit Pawar said, "Child, we take all castes and religions along with us. We will work to give justice to everyone. I have given the Zilla Parishad candidature to the Mali community from the Supe constituency because it was an OBC reserved seat. We have done what other parties failed to do." To this, Shreejit replied, "Fine, Dada. Whatever decision you feel is right is final. I will hang up now." The conversation ended there. Moments later, destiny took a cruel turn.
A wave of grief has swept through Baramati and the entire state of Maharashtra following the sudden and untimely death of Ajit Pawar, who was to address four poll meetings in Baramati.
Shreejit mentioned that the audio clip was played because everyone wished to hear Dada’s voice one last time. This final conversation underscores Ajit Pawar’s massive work ethic and his determination to include all sections of society until his very last breath.
While the state observes a period of mourning, the focus has shifted to the "Black Box" and the ongoing investigation into the technical failure of the aircraft.
The revelation of his last phone call has added a poignant layer to the tragedy, highlighting that the leader was active and engaged with his grassroots workers until his very last moments.
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