Tennis player Leander Paes joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday at the party headquarters in New Delhi, ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections.

After his induction, the BJP’s West Bengal unit said on social media: “From global courts to national commitment, another voice backs the call for poriborton [change] in West Bengal.”

After joining the Hindutva party, Paes said that he viewed the decision as an opportunity to serve the nation and contribute to the development of young people, particularly through sports, PTI reported.

Paes was earlier with the Trinamool Congress, having joined the party in 2021 ahead of the Goa Assembly elections.

On Tuesday, the Trinamool Congress said that the BJP had “parachuted” another “bohiragoto”, or outsider, into the state with Paes’ induction into the party.

Born in Kolkata in 1973, Paes is one of India’s most accomplished tennis players, with 18 Grand Slam titles across men’s and mixed doubles and a bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

He has also received several honours, including the Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award, Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan, and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2024.

The West Bengal Assembly election will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29. The results will be announced on May 4.