New Delhi, January 28: Bollywood actor and Member of Parliament Kangana Ranaut expressed deep shock over the sudden death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, calling the news "horrible" and difficult to process.

While speaking to the media, Ranaut struggled to find the right words to describe the tragedy. Visibly shocked by the loss, she said, "Oh my God. That's horrible. This is such horrible news. There are not enough words to express. Apne emotions ko align karke, I will give a statement later."

BJP MP Arun Govil expressed his condolences over the tragic demise of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who was killed in a plane crash earlier today.

Speaking to the media, Govil described the loss as "really unfortunate" and "saddening," acknowledging the immense void left by Pawar's untimely death. He also emphasised the importance of a thorough investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident."This is really unfortunate. It is saddening that we have lost such a good leader," Govil added. "It is crucial that an investigation takes place to understand the cause of this tragic event."

Earlier, actor Riteish Deshmukh also took to his X account to mourn the loss of one of the state's most influential political figures. "Deeply shocked and terribly heartbroken to learn that we have lost Ajit Dada in a tragic accident. One of Maharashtra's most dynamic leaders, he had zero tolerance for non-performance and constantly pushed and inspired those around him to excel," Deshmukh wrote on X.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party chief Ajit Pawar, along with his co-passengers, died when the chartered aircraft they were travelling in crashed near the landing runway of Baramati airporton Wednesday morning. Visuals from the site showed the plane engulfed in flames, with smoke billowing. Pawar was onboard with two other personnel (one PSO and one attendant) and two crew members.

Pawar was headed to Baramati to attend a public rally for the Zilla Parishad Elections. He had been in Mumbai on Tuesday, where he attended a meeting of the Maharashtra Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure, chaired by CM Devendra Fadnavis. Maharashtra Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule and other officials were also present.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis on Wednesday announced a state holiday and three days of mourning following the demise of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, in a plane crash this morning. (ANI)