Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Suresh Kalmadi passed away in Pune on Tuesday morning after a prolonged illness. He was 81 and had played key roles in sports administration and politics. Leaders across party lines have expressed condolences over his demise.
Suresh Kalmadi, former Union minister of state for railways and ex-president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), passed away around 3:30 a.m. on January 6, 2026, at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune after a prolonged illness. His mortal remains will be kept at Kalmadi House in Erandwane, Pune, until 2 p.m., followed by cremation at Vaikunth crematorium at 3 p.m., family sources said.
A prominent political figure from Pune, Kalmadi was elected to the Lok Sabha from the city in 1996, 2004, and 2009. He also served in the Rajya Sabha in 1980, 1986, and 1992. He lost the 1998 Lok Sabha elections as a Pune Vikas Aghadi candidate supported by BJP and Shiv Sena. Kalmadi played a key role in Pune's development, organizing the National Games in 1992 and founding the Pune Festival during Ganesh Chaturthi, which attracts global crowds.
His career was marred by the 2010 Commonwealth Games corruption scandal, leading to his arrest in April 2011 and suspension from Congress. He was acquitted in most cases, with one pending, and received a clean chit this year when a Delhi court accepted the Enforcement Directorate's closure report in the money laundering case, finding no proof under PMLA Section 3. In 2016, he declined an offer to become IOA life president amid controversy.
Congress Pune spokesperson Ramesh Iyer said, "Pune's real development started in 1992 under Kalmadi's leadership, with implemented projects and the National Games that boosted the city." Kalmadi is survived by his wife, son and daughter-in-law, two married daughters, son-in-law, and grandchildren. Tributes have poured in from leaders across parties for his contributions to public life.
