Former Union Minister and Congress Leader Suresh Kalmadi Dies at 81

Suresh Kalmadi, a senior Congress leader and former Union Minister, passed away in Pune in the early hours of Tuesday, January 6,2026, after battling a prolonged illness. He was 81. Sources said he breathed his last at around 3:30 a.m.

A well known political leader from Pune, Kalmadi represented multiple terms in Parliament, served as Union Minister of State for railways.

Apart from Politics, Kalmadi was a key figure in sports administration, serving as Indian Olympic Association President and heading the 2010 Commonwealth Games organising Committee, gaining both fame and controversy.

Tributes poured in from political leaders cutting across party lines, who remembered him for his role in public life.

Suresh Kalmadi’s mortal remains will be kept at his residence in Erandwane until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, January 6, allowing people to pay their last respects. He will be cremated at Vaikunth Crematorium in Navi Peth at 3:30 p.m.