Pune: Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Suresh Kalmadi passed away in Pune following a prolonged illness in the wee hours of Tuesday. He was 81.
His mortal remains will be kept at Kalmadi House in Pune’s Erandwane until 2 pm, as per a statement from his office. The cremation is expected to take place at Vaikunth smashan bhumi at 3.30 pm.
Kalmadi is survived by his wife, son and daughter-in-law, two married daughters and a son-in-law, as well as grandchildren, it has been reported by Hindustan Times.
He started his political career in 1977 by becoming the president of the Indian Youth Congress in Pune. By 1978, he was elevated to the President of the Youth Congress for Maharashtra, where he served till 1980.
Kalmadi took In over as the president of the Maharashtra Athletics Association in 1980. Under his leadership, Pune held selection trials to represent India at the Moscow Olympics.
In 1982, he served as a member of the Rajya Sabha, a position he went on to hold for three more terms. In 1996, he was elected to the Lok Sabha under former prime minister Narasimha Rao.
During this tenure, he also served as the Minister of State for Railways from 1995 to 1996.
In 1996, Kalmadi began to serve as the president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), a position he held till 2012. He also served as the president of Asian Athletics Association from 2000 to 2013 and was named its Life President in 2015.
The latter part of his political career was mired in controversy and he was subsequently removed from the position of president of IOA.
