One of India’s most influential sports administrators, MP from Pune Suresh Kalmadi, who once flew in the air, has now been grounded. The former Air Force pilot-turned politician, who once flew supersonic jets while serving the country and had won many laurels, is all set to be confined to the dingy cells of Tihar jail.
Mr Kalmadi, who joined Indian Air Force as pilot at the age of 21 in 1965, served there till 1974 and participated in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. During his illustrious career in the Air Force, he won eight medals.
After quitting Air Force, he joined Congress and became Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress president. In 1982, for the first time he got elected to Rajya Sabha and had two more consecutive terms in the Upper House of the Parliament till 1995. He entered Lok Sabha from Pune in 1996 and ceased his membership after premature dissolution of the 11th Lok Sabha in 1997. Then again he had a Rajya Sabha stint from 1998 to 2004 and after which he once again got elected to Lok Sabha from Pune. Currently, he is representing Pune Lok Sabha constituency.
Mr Kalmadi has the distinction of being the only minister of state to present the Union Railway Budget in Parliament for 1996-97. He also has the distinction of being one of the longest serving members on the parliamentary committees on defence. He has been the member of Defence Consultative Committee and also Standing Committee on Defence.