Maharashtra has been placed under three days of state mourning following the death of Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on Wednesday, January 28, 2026. The Government of Maharashtra confirmed the decision through an official notification issued by the General Administration Department.
As part of the mourning protocol, all state government offices will remain closed, and the national flag will be flown at half-mast across Maharashtra from January 28 to January 30, 2026. The order applies to all government buildings where the tricolour is customarily hoisted.
The state government has also directed that no official entertainment programmes be organised during the mourning period. Senior officials, district collectors, police commissioners, and superintendents of police have been instructed to ensure that the mourning guidelines are followed strictly across districts.
The notification described the closure of offices and suspension of official events as a mark of respect to the departed leader, who served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra at the time of his death. The message was circulated through the state’s police wireless network to ensure immediate implementation.
The tragic plane crash has sent shockwaves across the political landscape of Maharashtra, prompting the government to suspend normal administrative functioning for the day and observe a formal period of remembrance statewide.
