Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Suresh Kalmadi passed away on Tuesday. HT has learnt that the congress leader died in Maharashtra's Pune following a prolonged illness.
Kalmadi's mortal remains will be kept at Kalmadi House in Pune's Erandwane until 2PM, as per a statement from his office. The cremation is expected to take place at Vaikunth smashanbhumi at 3.30PM.
The former union minister is survived by his wife, son and daughter-in-law, two married daughters and a son-in-law, as well as grandchildren.
Kalmadi 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.
In 1980, Kalmadi took over as the president of the Maharashtra Athletics Association. Under his leadership, Pune held selection trials to represent India at the Moscow Olympics.
In 1982, Kalmadi 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, 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.
In 2007, Kalmadi signed an agreement to bring Formula One Grand Prix to India. However, it was later uncovered by the Indian Express that the contract was signed with India-based JPSK Sports Private Limited and 13 percent if tis shares were held by Pune-based Sulba Realty Private, where Kalmadi's son was a director.
In 2010, Kalmadi hit headlines after the conduct of the Commonwealth Games in India came under scanner, especially for the organisation of the games.
In April 2011, CBI arrested former CWG Organising Committee (OC) chairman Suresh Kalmadi in the Timing-Scoring-Result (TSR) case under Sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code. Due to this, he served a sentence of 10 months in Tihar jail.
Following the corruption scandal, Kalmadi was suspended from the Indian National Congress and also removed from the post of president of the IOA.
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