Pankaja Munde’s Helicopter Grounded After Technical Fault In Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar
Pankaja Munde’s Helicopter Grounded After Technical Fault In Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar
Pune, February 3, 2026: Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde was unable to travel to Latur on Tuesday after the helicopter assigned for her journey developed a technical issue at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar airport shortly before take-off.
Munde was scheduled to fly to Latur to campaign for her party’s candidate in the ongoing Zilla Parishad elections. According to sources close to the minister, the helicopter was expected to depart around 11 am when pilots detected a mechanical problem during pre-flight checks. As a result, the aircraft could not be cleared for take-off.
“The technical snag was noticed before departure, and the helicopter failed to start,” Munde’s personal assistant said, adding that passenger safety was not compromised.
The BJP leader had earlier campaigned for party candidates in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and was travelling with four others. Following the delay, arrangements were initiated to provide an alternative helicopter for her onward journey.
Party sources confirmed that a technical team has been deployed to examine the aircraft and identify the fault.
The incident comes amid heightened sensitivity around air travel for political leaders in the state, following last week’s fatal plane crash in Baramati that claimed the life of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others while they were travelling for election-related campaigning.
