Pune: Former Pune MP, Union minister and Congress veteran Suresh Kalmadi, a prominent public figure whose career spanned politics, sports administration and civic life, passed away in the city on Tuesday after a prolonged illness. He was 81.Kalmadi’s mortal remains were kept at his residence, where several political leaders, including deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, along with citizens and well-wishers, paid their last respects. The final rites were performed with full rituals at the Vaikunth crematorium in the afternoon, with politicians across party lines and hundreds of supporters paying glowing tributes to ‘Suresh Bhai’, as he was fondly called.Paying tribute, Ajit Pawar recalled how Kalmadi began his professional journey as a pilot in the Indian Air Force before leaving a lasting imprint on Pune’s political, social, sporting and cultural landscape. “As a long-serving MP from Pune, Union minister and president of the Indian Olympic Association, he played a key role in shaping the city’s identity,” Pawar said.He said Kalmadi’s contributions to Pune’s socio-cultural life would be remembered for generations, and that his death marked the end of an era of experienced leadership.Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari extended condolences to his family, friends and well-wishers. NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar described Kalmadi as an experienced public figure shaped by struggle and marked by decades of public service. He said while differences and criticism were an inevitable part of political life, Kalmadi never compromised on democratic values and firmly believed that politics was a responsibility towards the people rather than a pursuit of power. MP Shashi Tharoor of Congress recalled Kalmadi as a stalwart of Pune’s politics and a key figure in Indian sports administration.
