Former Member of Parliament from Pune and Union Minister of State for Railways, Suresh Kalmadi, passed away on Monday at a private hospital in Pune. He was 81 years old. The veteran politician had been unwell for a significant period. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, a son, and grandchildren.
A Long and Eventful Political Career
Suresh Kalmadi's political journey was extensive and multifaceted. He first entered Parliament as a Rajya Sabha MP in 1980 from the Congress (S). He was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1986 and again in 1992.
His electoral foray into the Lok Sabha began later. Kalmadi was first elected as a Lok Sabha MP from Pune in 1996. He successfully retained his seat in the 2004 and 2009 general elections. However, his record was not unblemished; he faced a defeat in the 1998 Lok Sabha elections when he contested as a candidate of the Pune Vikas Aghadi, an alliance supported by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena.
Controversies and Later Years
Kalmadi's career was significantly impacted by the Commonwealth Games (CWG) scam of 2010. In the wake of the allegations, the Congress party suspended him in 2011. Addressing his legal battles, Congress city spokesperson Ramesh Iyer noted, "He was acquitted in most cases related to the scam. Only one case was pending."
Despite the controversies, Kalmadi is widely acknowledged for playing a key role in Pune's infrastructure and development projects during his long tenure, leaving a lasting imprint on the city's landscape.
Final Rites and Legacy
According to Congress leaders, the last rites of Suresh Kalmadi will be performed at the Vaikunth crematorium in Pune at 3 pm. His passing marks the end of an era for Pune's political scene, closing the chapter on a figure who was both a celebrated developer of the city and a central figure in one of India's major sporting scandals.
