Daijiworld Media Network – Pune
Pune, Sep 17: Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Suresh Kalmadi has been admitted to Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune following a spell of ill health. Kalmadi, who has been undergoing treatment for the past several days, also missed the Pune Festival he had initiated years ago.
During his Pune visit on Tuesday, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Chandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar took time out from his party’s executive meeting and rally to visit the hospital and inquire about his old colleague’s health.
The meeting between the two veteran leaders was brief but emotional. As soon as he saw Sharad Pawar, Kalmadi asked, “How are you?” To which Pawar warmly replied, “I am fine.” Hospital director Dr Dhananjay Kelkar gave Pawar a detailed update on Kalmadi’s condition.
Pawar was accompanied by Meera Kalmadi, Sumir Kalmadi, Vitthal Maniyar, Ankush Kakade and others during the visit. The sight of the two veterans—who once held considerable sway in Delhi’s political corridors—reminded many of their deep-rooted friendship.
Their camaraderie has often been recounted in state and national politics. In his book “24 Akbar Road,” Congress leader Rasheed Kidwai narrated how Suresh Kalmadi once put all his efforts into projecting Sharad Pawar as Prime Minister after the 1991 Lok Sabha elections, held in the aftermath of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination.
At that time, names like P.V. Narasimha Rao, Sharad Pawar, Arjun Singh and Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma were in the race for the top post. A close confidant of Rajiv Gandhi, Kalmadi launched the ‘Manage Delhi’ campaign, lobbying hard for Pawar. Known for his flair in Delhi’s social circles, he famously hosted a lavish dinner at a five-star hotel for nearly 64 newly elected Congress MPs, attempting to consolidate support for Pawar’s candidature.
Though Pawar eventually lost the race, Kalmadi’s efforts left a lasting mark on political history. Their bond, forged in those turbulent years, was once again reflected during Tuesday’s quiet hospital meeting in Pune.