Kolkata: The Union Home ministry has decided to provide X-category security to tennis great Leander Paes.
The 18-time Grand Slam doubles winner and India’s only Olympic medallist in tennis, who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) six days ago, will have CISF personnel deployed for his security, reported India Today.
The move comes amid heightened political activity ahead of crucial state Assembly elections, including in West Bengal, where Paes is expected to play an active role.
The 52-year-old Paes has been named as one of BJP’s star campaigners for the West Bengal election, to be held in two phases later this month, on April 23 and 29. Besides political heavyweights li
ke Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, JP Nadda, Nitin Gadkari and others, the list also includes Kangana Ranaut, Mithun Chakrabarty and Hema Malini.
This will be Paes’ second stint in politics, having joined Trinamool Congress (TMC) in October 2021 and campaigned in the Goa Assembly polls held in 2022.
After switching to the saffron party last week, Paes said the move was “not just a formality but a responsibility”, and an opportunity to serve the nation.
He praised Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, and spoke about India’s “transformative journey” over the past decade.
“With deep faith in the leadership of our Prime Minister, I have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party,” he said.
TMC took a dig at BJP, describing Paes as another “outsider” being brought into West Bengal politics.
“@Leander has officially joined @BJP4India. Congratulations! You’ve finally found your next Goa Chief Minister candidate. Yet another BOHIRAGOTO parachuted into our state by BJP,” Trinamool said in a post on X after Paes was formally inducted into the BJP in Delhi.