India, Jan. 28 -- Political leaders across party lines have expressed shock and grief on Wednesday following the death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar in a plane crash near Baramati, calling his passing a major loss to public life and Indian politics.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the news of Ajit Pawar's death had left him deeply distressed, describing the senior leader as a committed public servant who worked tirelessly for the people of Maharashtra for over three decades.

In a message shared on social media, Shah said, "The way Ajit Pawar ji dedicated himself to the welfare of every section of society in Maharashtra over the past three and a half decades cannot be expressed in words. Whenever we met...