Leander Paes meets Nitin Nabin, sparks buzz over possible Bengal poll candidature
Telegraph | 25 March 2026
Tennis star Leander Paes called on BJP national president Nitin Nabin in a New Town hotel on Tuesday, setting off speculations that the meeting could be a prelude to his candidature in the Bengal Assembly polls.
Although Paes was not available for comments, BJP sources said the multiple Grand Slam winner was approached by the BJP to join the party ahead of the Bengal polls.
The sources did not confirm whether he was given the offer to contest as a BJP candidate.
Admitting that Paes had met Nabin, BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya said: “He had come to meet our national president. There might have been something that Leander Paes wanted to discuss with Nabin ji.”
A senior BJP leader, however, said that Bhattacharya was also present during the meeting.
Although he did not contest the polls, Paes had joined the Trinamool Congress in 2021 and campaigned for the party during the Goa elections in 2022.
According to sources close to Paes, who is also the Bengal Tennis Association president, there was no clarity on whether he had made a final decision to join the BJP.
One of the most celebrated sportspersons of India, Paes won an individual Olympic medal for the country in 1996 in Atlanta, after a gap of 44 years. That bronze medal remains the only Olympic medal in tennis won by an Indian.
Paes had won eight doubles and 10 mixed doubles Grand Slam titles, achieving a career Grand Slam in both formats. He is the first Asian man to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame (2024).
His performance in the Davis Cup is also noteworthy. He holds the record for the most doubles wins in Davis Cup history.
The BJP has already announced the names of 256 nominees. The party will soon declare the candidates for the 38 remaining seats, said sources.