Assembly Elections 2026 | Leander Paes Joins BJP
An ace tennis player, who won an Olympic medal, joined the saffron party at its headquarters in New Delhi. Reports Anamika Ratna
Published : March 31, 2026 at 12:52 PM IST
|Updated : March 31, 2026 at 1:12 PM IST
New Delhi: Veteran tennis player and winner of multiple Grand Slam titles, Leander Paes, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at its headquarters here on Tuesday.
The tennis star had recently met BJP chief Nitin Nabin in Kolkata, setting off speculation about him joining the party. Paes, son of the late Dr Vaes Paes, had joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in 2021 and campaigned for the party during the Goa elections in 2022. He did not contest the elections.
He joined the saffron party in the presence of Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. Leander is regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of India.
"India had not won an individual medal after the 1952 Games. I was unhappy that India did not win a medal at the Olympics. This changed in the 1996 Olympics at Atlanta, and after that, in every Olympics, India has won a medal," Rijiju said.
Rijiju also said Leander is one of the players to win higehst medals in the Davis Cup. "He played seven consecutive Olympics," added Rijiju.
"When such a big player makes a decision, there is a reason for it. After retiring in 2020, he is helping other players. I am happy on the occassion and it is a matter of pride for the party. I wholeheartedly welcome him into the party," the Union Minister added.
Leander said he played for 40 years for the country. "Now I will serve the people and the youth of the country. In my opinion, Khelo India and TOPS are good schemes for sportspersons," the Indian tennis legend said. He also credited Kiren Rijiju for his work as a Union Sports Minister ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
"India is the youngest nation in the world. We are working to host the Olympics in 2036," he added. "There was no infrastructure when I was growing up. Even today, we do not have an indoor tennis court," he rued.
Paes said in tennis, there is equal prize money. "As a host nation, we will get entry, but my concern is what we will showcase," he said.
"It is a big thing that I have joined the world's largest party. I am a son of India. I want to empower each and every kid in India. Kiren Rijiju is my inspiration. He has a passion for sports. It is a big day for me," Paes quipped.
