Tennis star Leander Paes on Tuesday joined the BJP in Delhi amid speculation that he is likely to be fielded from the Krishnanagar Uttar Assembly constituency.

“Leander Paes will be an asset for the party in Bengal. He was born in Calcutta, studied there and also began his tennis career there. If nothing changes at the last moment, it is almost certain that he will contest from Krishnanagar North,” a national-level BJP leader said.

“Obviously, he will also be used in campaigns across Bengal to attract the youth. There are many indications that the induction of Paes will be a masterstroke by the party,” the leader added.

The BJP considers Krishnanagar Uttar, which votes on April 29, a safe seat. One-time Trinamool No. 2 Mukul Roy won from here in 2021 on a BJP ticket. He, however, switched back to Trinamool after Mamata Banerjee became chief minister for the third time.

Paes had joined Trinamool in Goa in 2021 after the party swept the Bengal elections, restricting the BJP to 77 seats.

Not only was Paes, 53, born in Calcutta’s Beckbagan, but he also honed his sporting skills on the city’s historic maidans and received his education at institutions like La Martiniere and St. Xavier’s.

“Another important point is that his mother, Jennifer Paes, is a descendant of the Bengali poet Michael Madhusudan Dutt. This roots Paes strongly in Bengali culture,” a BJP leader in Calcutta said.

BJP insiders said Paes’s induction was primarily decided after he met BJP president Nitin Nabin at a New Town hotel on the night of March 24.

“For 40 years of my life, I have played for the country in the Davis Cup and the Olympics. Now it is a new field, and my brothers have bestowed a new responsibility on me to serve the country. I want to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah andNitin Nabinji. Now I willplay for the country as it is a big opportunity to serve the youth,” Paes told a news conference in Delhi.

He spoke about his Bengal connection and highlighted that he played during his early years in the state. He added that there is an opportunity to strengthen sports facilitiesin Bengal.

During his induction, Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and Sukanta Majumdar were present at the BJP’s central office in the capital. While Rijiju urged Paes to play a bigger innings in politics, Majumdar, representing Bengal, said: “His entry to the BJP is amoment of pride for Bengal.” He described Paes as a“son of Bengal”.

Trinamool said the BJP had once again parachuted an “outsider” into the state.

“@Leander has officially joined @BJP4India. Congratulations! You’ve finally found your next Goa Chief Minister candidate. Yet another BOHIRAGOTO (outsider) parachuted into our state by BJP,”Trinamool posted on its official X handle.

The BJP hit back, claiming that Trinamool “has a history of insulting icons of Bengal”.

“In one go, it has attacked Michael Madhusudan Dutt and called his direct descendant, also a national hero from Calcutta, a BOHIRAGOTO,” the BJP responded on X.

Paes’s journey from the bustling lanes of Calcutta to the pinnacle of global tennis is like a fairy tale. He rose through the junior ranks to win the Wimbledon Boys’ Singles title in 1990.

Over a career spanning more than three decades, Paes carved a niche as one of the finest doubles players in tennis history. He won 18 grand slam titles across men’s doubles and mixed doubles, partnering with some of the world’s best.

With Mahesh Bhupathi, he had also been the No.1 doubles team in the world. Paes’s Davis Cup heroics further cemented his legacy.

In 2024, Paes became the first Asian man to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Sporting excellence runs in his blood. His father, Vece Paes, was a member of India’s bronze medal-winning hockey team at the 1972 Olympics, while his mother, Jennifer, captained the Indian basketball team.

Paes not only upheld this Olympian legacy but elevated it, becoming an Olympic medallist himself in 1996.

According to a source close to Paes, after joining the BJP, the tennis star would be working on developing sports in the country. He will also be the face of India’s bid for the 2036 Summer Olympics, the sources said.