New Delhi, Jan. 7 -- In the early years of his public life, Suresh Kalmadi had a peculiar habit of alighting at random railway stations to meet strangers, leaving his wife Meera worried if he would be able to board the train in time. In 1995, when Kalmadi became the junior minister for railways in the PV Narsimha Rao government, Meera was delighted: "Now the trains can't leave without him," she used to say. The post lasted barely a year, but it damaged, beyond repair, Kalmadi's precious ties with his mentor, Sharad Pawar. Kalmadi took pride in calling himself Pawar's "ambassador in Delhi", organised parties for influential guests on his behalf and lobbied hard for Pawar as the Prime Minister candidate in 1991. Kalmadi, a former Union minister, multiple-time MP and one of Pune's most influential political organisers for over three decades, passed away early on Tuesday. He was 81. Long before Kalmadi went behind bars for the Delhi Commonwealth Games scam, he had organised many sports events, including a marathon to mark 40 years of Independence, which was special because both the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi had participated. Kalmadi's bio data in the Lok Sabha portal said, "Conducted International Marathon (18 times), International Permit Athletic Meet (8 times), road races, Freedom 40 & Nehru Centenary Celebrations with unprecedented participation; introduced Asian Grand Prix, Indoor Athletics and All Star Championships in Asia; successfully hosted World Half Marathon, 2004." A young Kalmadi had joined the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune's Khadakwasla in 1960 and later served as a squadron leader in the Indian Air Force. Fourteen years later, and after participating in the 1971 Indo-China war, Kalmadi quit as a flight instructor at NDA to pursue a new career. To many in Pune, Kalmadi's political journey is inseparable from the Poona Coffee House in central Pune's Deccan Gymkhana, where a young, English-speaking former IAF officer once sat at the cash counter, absorbing politics over cups of coffee. Akin to the challenges of a fighter pilot, Kalmadi's electoral fray from Pune was also a tough mission. A Kannadiga Brahmin born in Madras (now Chennai), Kalmadi had to fight in the Marathi bastions of Pune. He also faced tough competition from Congress veteran of Pune: VN Gadgil. Kalmadi's long association with Pune, the erstwhile centre of the Maratha empire, started in 1977 when he was made the president of the Pune Youth Congress. He was the Indian Youth Congress (S) president for five years and became a Rajya Sabha member in 1982. But Kalmadi's forte was his organisational skills. After Kalmadi died on Tuesday, Pawar wrote on X, "Suresh Kalmadi, who began his career as a pilot in the Indian Air Force, later carved out an important place for himself in politics. As a Union Minister and President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), he shouldered responsibilities with dedication for many years. Through the Pune Festival and the Pune International Marathon, he played a significant role in giving Pune a distinct identity not just at the national level, but on the international stage as well." "Differences of opinion, conflicts, and criticism are inevitable in politics; yet, even in such circumstances, he never compromised on democratic values. He consistently upheld the stance throughout his entire career that politics is not merely a means to power, but a responsibility toward the people. Even while navigating the ups and downs of public life, he never abandoned his determination, perseverance, and self-confidence," Pawar added. Kalmadi's last chapter in politics, however, ended in corruption charges and isolation. The CBI called him as the "mastermind" in the Rs.104-crore Timing, Scoring and Result devices (TSR) scam and other similar scandals during the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The CWG scam had also become an ammo for the BJP to hit out at the beleaguered UPA government, which lost power in 2014. And Kalmadi, a man with many friends in the corridors of power, didn't find a single voice to defend him. In April last year, the ED filed a closure report on the charges....