Isn't he a Goanese? Is he a Bengali? Several questions flooded social media after tennis legend Leander Paes joined the BJP on Tuesday ahead of the high-stakes assembly elections in Bengal. While his induction will ostensibly boost the BJP's star power at a time when the ruling Trinamool has banked on celebrities to amplify its campaign, it has also triggered a wave of curiosity about the Olympic medalist's roots and his connection to the poll-bound state.
However, not many know that Leander is a Kolkata boy. While the tennis legend is often associated with Goa, Leander was actually born and raised in Kolkata.
Widely held as one of the most accomplished doubles players in India, Leander was born to a middle-class Bengali mother and a Goan father. Both his parents were national sportspersons.
His mother, Jennifer Paes, a Bengali Christian, captained the national basketball team in the 1980 Asian Championship. What many don't know is that Leandar is a direct descendant of the renowned 19th-century Bengali poet Michael Madhusudan Dutta. Leandar's mother, Jennifer, is the great-granddaughter of Madhusudan Dutta, who is credited with ushering in a renaissance in Bengali literature.
His father, Vece Paes, was part of the hockey team that won a bronze medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Both of them helped shape the sporting career of Leandar, who developed a fondness for tennis at the age of five.
In fact, much of the passion could be attributed to Naresh Kumar, who mentored a young Leander in Kolkata.
The Khel Ratna awardee completed his education from La Martiniere and St Xavier's College in Kolkata before moving to Chennai in 1986 to pursue tennis. And then, there was no looking back as he spearheaded India's tennis campaign for over two decades in a cricket-mad country.
However, he carved out a niche for himself, and his partnership with Mahesh Bhupathi was the stuff of legends. It can be safe to say that Leander was instrumental in boosting India's status in the world of tennis.
Leander hung up his tennis racket in 2020 at the age of 47, ending his career with 18 Grand Slam wins. He has been honoured with the Arjuna Award (1990), Padma Shri (2001) and the Padma Bhushan (2014).
After his retirement, he credited much of the success in his career and longevity to growing up in Kolkata. "Growing up middle-class in Calcutta is what gave me my passion for longevity... I think the Maidan life of Calcutta also gave me that passion," Leandar said in an interview with The Telegraph.
Six years down the line, Leander is now looking to excel in the court of politics. But this is not his first political stint.
In 2021, he joined the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress to spearhead the party's campaign ahead of the Goa elections. However, he did not contest the 2022 Goa polls. The Trinamool flopped in the elections, failing to win even a single seat.
A key reason behind inducting Leander is the BJP's move to counter the Trinamool's "Bengali asmita (pride)" narrative. Mamata has made "Bengali identity" and "Bengali asmita" key planks of her campaign for the 2026 elections to counter the BJP, widely seen as a "north Indian party".
With Leandar, who was born and raised in Kolkata, the BJP is looking to deflate that narrative.
The tennis legend now lives mostly in Goa, where his family has historical roots. He is now set for a new chapter in his political journey. Will the 'Kolkatar chele (boy)' help the BJP bring down Mamata's fortress in Bengal?
