Is Leander Paes Joining BJP? Meeting With Bengal BJP Chief Ahead of State Elections Sparks Buzz

A meeting between Leander Paes and BJP leadership has fuelled speculations over the tennis legend’s possible entry in politics ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Bengal. Paes had met BJP national president Nitin Nabin in Kolkata on Tuesday evening, with state unit chief Samik Bhattacharya also present adding more weigh to the buzz that’s going around. The meeting coincided with Nabin’s two-day visit to Kolkata.

Sources have indicated that his formal entry in the party could take place in Delhi soon. The development is significant in light of Paes’s earlier association with the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). In October 2021, he joined the party in Goa, where West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee welcomed him warmly and described him as a “younger brother.”

Later, he was left out of the party’s 69-member Goa state committee that was announced in January 2022. This further raised questions on his role in the party. 

The party insiders have suggested that BJP is implementing a layered strategy which is described as “Chakravyuh” within the party. Closed-door consultations with senior leaders also signalled a strong push from the central leadership to intensify efforts in the state.

Poll Dates

Elections for the 294-member West Bengal Legislative Assembly will take place in two phases—on April 23 and April 29. The counting of votes and announcement of results will happen on May 4.

As the election campaign reaches a crucial stage, a recent meeting between tennis legend Leander Paes and leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party has created fresh interest in political circles. This development has raised speculation about whether Paes might soon begin a new chapter in public life. 

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