Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Suresh Kalmadi passed away at the age of 81 in a Pune hospital early on Tuesday after a prolonged illness. His death marks the end of a complex political journey that saw him rise as a powerful Congress organiser and sports czar, only to be undone by his alleged involvement in the 2010 Commonwealth Games scandal.
From IAF Pilot to Political Powerbroker
Kalmadi's political career began in earnest in 1977 when he was appointed president of the Pune Youth Congress. His initial mentor was not a member of the Gandhi family but the young Sharad Pawar, who would become Maharashtra's Chief Minister the following year. Kalmadi's first electoral contest in 1978 from the Shivajinagar Assembly seat ended in defeat.
He followed Pawar during a brief rebellion against the Congress, joining the breakaway Congress (S). His loyalty was rewarded with a Rajya Sabha nomination in 1982, the first of his four terms in the Upper House. However, Kalmadi had already caught the eye of the Gandhi family through an act of protest in 1977, where he and an associate threw slippers at then-PM Morarji Desai's car. This brought him to the attention of Sanjay Gandhi.
His rapport with the Gandhis solidified in 1980 when he met Rajiv Gandhi, bonding over their shared background as pilots. This connection proved crucial for his eventual return to the Congress fold with Pawar in 1986 and his subsequent ascent.
The Sports Administrator and Pune's Development Face
Parallel to his political career, Kalmadi built a formidable reputation as a sports administrator. He served as the president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) from 1996 to 2011. His tenure saw him helm the organisation during the controversial 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.
In Pune, he was instrumental in founding several institutions that shaped the city's cultural and sporting landscape. He started the Pune Marathon in 1983 and the Pune Festival in 1989. He also established the Pune Vyaspeeth, an apolitical forum for city development discussions, and played a key role in organising the National Games.
His closeness to industrial families like the Bajajs and Firodias helped secure sponsorships for these events. Elected to the Lok Sabha from Pune in 1996, 2004, and 2009, he also served as the Union Minister of State for Railways from 1995 to 1996.
The Fall: Commonwealth Games Scandal and Political Exile
The high point of Kalmadi's career swiftly turned into its downfall. Allegations of corruption and financial irregularities in the conduct of the 2010 Commonwealth Games led to his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2011. The Congress party suspended him following the arrest.
He spent nine months in Tihar Jail before the Delhi High Court granted him bail. Although a Delhi court accepted the Enforcement Directorate's closure report on money laundering charges against him in 2023, the political damage was irreversible.
The Congress party virtually froze him out after his release, extending no invitations to major events and not seeking his counsel even after the party's disastrous performances in the 2014 and 2019 national elections. Despite calls from some local Congress units for his rehabilitation following the court's closure report, he remained on the sidelines of active politics until his death.
Kalmadi's legacy remains a study in contrasts: a former Air Force pilot who became a seven-term parliamentarian, a sports promoter who brought marquee events to India but whose name became synonymous with a major scandal, and a Pune strongman whose influence ultimately faded in the shadow of legal battles.
