New Delhi/IBNS, March 31 -- Indian tennis icon Leander Paes joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections.

Paes, who had joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in 2021, formally switched sides at the party headquarters in the national capital.

He was inducted into the BJP in the presence of Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju and Sukanta Majumdar.

He rose to prominence after winning a historic bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, becoming the first Indian in decades to secure an individual Olympic medal.

Over the years, Paes established himself as a doubles specialist of the highest order, winning 18 Grand Slam titles-eight in men's doubles and ten in mixed doubles. His contributio...