Former Union Minister Suresh Kalmadi passes away at 81 in Pune after prolonged illness

Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Suresh Kalmadi passed away early Tuesday morning in Pune. He was 81.

An official statement said Kalmadi died at around 3.30 am after a prolonged illness. He was undergoing treatment at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital.

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A long-time parliamentarian from Pune, Kalmadi served as Minister of State for Railways. He was also a key figure in Indian sports administration for over a decade.

Last rites to be held in Pune

According to the family, Kalmadi is survived by his wife, a son and daughter-in-law, two daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.

His mortal remains will be kept at his Erandwane residence, Kalmadi House, till 2 pm. The cremation will take place at Vaikunth smashanbhumi in Navi Peth at 3.30 pm.

#WATCH | Pune, Maharashtra | Former Union Minister and Senior Congress leader Suresh Kalmadi passed away after a prolonged illness.

(Visuals from outside his residence) pic.x.com/HWKh3MhKgh

— ANI (@ANI) January 6, 2026

A career spanning politics and sports administration

Born on May 1, 1944, in Madras (now Chennai), Kalmadi had roots in Mangalore and completed his schooling and higher education in Pune. He studied at St Vincent’s High School and Fergusson College before joining the National Defence Academy. He later underwent aviation training at the Air Force Flying College.

Kalmadi entered politics in the early 1980s and went on to represent Maharashtra multiple times in Parliament. He served four terms in the Rajya Sabha and three terms in the Lok Sabha from Pune.

He rose to prominence in sports administration after becoming president of the Indian Olympic Association in 1996. He held the post for several consecutive terms, overseeing India’s participation in major international sporting events.

His public career, however, was overshadowed in later years by corruption cases linked to the 2010 Commonwealth Games. He was arrested by the CBI in 2011 in connection with alleged irregularities in contracts awarded for the Games. Kalmadi denied the charges, calling them politically motivated. Legal proceedings continued for several years.

Despite the controversy, he received the Asian Athletics Association President’s Award in 2015 for his contribution to athletics in Asia.