Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Feb 4: A mechanical fault was detected in a helicopter shortly before it was scheduled to ferry Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Pankaja Munde for Zilla Parishad election campaigning in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, reports said.

Airport authorities stated that the defect was identified late on Monday evening, just hours ahead of Munde’s planned flight to Latur.

According to officials at Chikalthana airport, Munde had arrived in the city on Monday by a private jet and later used the helicopter for campaign-related travel. However, during a routine maintenance inspection later that night, aviation technicians noticed technical issues in the aircraft and immediately alerted airport officials.

The helicopter was scheduled to depart around 11 am on Tuesday, but the flight was delayed by nearly two hours due to the fault, sources said.

Speaking to reporters, Munde said the helicopter was an old one, but she chose not to complain and continued with her programme as planned. She also remarked that political leaders have been feeling uneasy about air travel following the recent fatal crash involving NCP leader Ajit Pawar.

Munde has been campaigning intensively across the Marathwada region ahead of the February 7 Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections, holding multiple rallies and meetings.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar (66) was killed along with four others after an aircraft crash while attempting to land at Baramati airport in Pune district last week. The crash-landing near the runway threshold claimed the lives of all five on board, including Pawar’s personal security officer, a flight attendant, and two pilots.

Following Pawar’s death, several political parties have demanded a thorough investigation, raising questions over the aircraft and the circumstances surrounding the incident. Senior Congress leader Arif Naseem Khan also called for a detailed probe into the increasing number of aviation-related incidents in recent times.