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Leander Paes Swings Into BJP Ahead of West Bengal Elections
Leander Paes joined the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of West Bengal elections, with polling in April and May, potentially boosting BJP's appeal among urban and youth voters.
- On Tuesday, tennis legend Leander Paes joined the Bharatiya Janata Party at its New Delhi headquarters, ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections scheduled for April 23 and 29.
- This move marks a notable political shift for Paes, who previously joined the All India Trinamool Congress in October 2021, when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee welcomed him as a "younger brother."
- A winner of 18 Grand Slam titles and a 1996 Olympic bronze medalist, Paes currently leads the Bengal Tennis Association, establishing his credentials as one of India's most accomplished athletes.
- The BJP aims to leverage Paes' popularity to connect with urban voters in Kolkata, as West Bengal prepares for two-phase voting on April 23 and 29, with results announced May 4.
- His entry adds fresh momentum to the BJP's campaign for West Bengal's 294-seat assembly, where the party faces the ruling Trinamool Congress in an intensifying electoral battle.
20 Articles
20 Articles
Once With Trinamool, Tennis Icon Leander Paes Now Joins BJP Ahead Of Polls
Born in Kolkata, Paes lives in Goa, where his father Vece Paes comes from. While Leander's father was part of the Munich Olympics bronzewinning hockey team in 1972, his mother, Jennifer Paes, captained India's women's basketball team.
Ahead of West Bengal polls, tennis icon Leander Paes joins BJP
New Delhi: Tennis legend Leander Paes formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday, March 31, in the presence of Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju and Sukanta Majumdar, a move seen as a significant political signal ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections. Paes, who had previously aligned with the Trinamool Congress in 2021 and campaigned for it during the Goa assembly elections the following year, described his induction as a “resp…
Just before the West Bengal Assembly elections, Indian tennis legend Leander Paes has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
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