Ex-tennis star Leander Paes joins BJP ahead of West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026

Indian tennis icon Leander Paes is set to formally join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday, 31 March, in a development that carries considerable weight ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections.

The former Davis Cup stalwart will be inducted into the party in the presence of senior BJP leadership, the officials confirmed. The move had been widely anticipated following Paes's recent meeting with BJP state president Nitin Nabin in Kolkata.

The timing is notable. Paes is no stranger to party politics, having previously aligned himself with the Trinamool Congress in 2021.

He went on to campaign actively for the TMC during the Goa assembly elections in 2022, though he did not himself contest a seat.

His decision to now cross over to the BJP represents a clean break from that association and a pointed signal to Bengal's electorate as the state braces for a fiercely contested political battle.

Whether Paes will contest the upcoming elections remains to be seen, but his arrival in the saffron camp is certain to generate considerable attention in a state where celebrity endorsements carry disproportionate electoral weight.

Leander Paes is one of the most decorated players in Indian tennis history, played a key role in multiple Davis Cup campaigns.

He believes it is time to step forward and actively shape the future of the game (Tennis) by nurturing young talent in India and bring ex-athletes back into the game. (More to come..