Leander Paes’s Domestic Violence Conviction Returns to Spotlight as the Tennis Legend Joins the BJP Ahead of 2026 Bengal Elections

Indian tennis player Leander Paes joined the BJP on 31 March 2026 ahead of the 2026 Bengal Assembly Election, marking a shift from his earlier association with the Trinamool Congress and signalling the party’s effort to bring prominent public figures into its campaign.

Amidst the political drama, focus has shifted once again onto Paes’s conviction for domestic violence against his former partner and British model Rhea Pillai.

Who is Leander Paes?

Leander Paes is one of India’s most successful tennis players, with 18 Grand Slam titles, including eight in men’s doubles and ten in mixed doubles. He won a bronze medal in singles at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and had a long Davis Cup career.

Paes received the Arjuna Award in 1990, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna after his Olympic medal, the Padma Shri in 2001 alongside doubles partner Mahesh Bhupathi, and the Padma Bhushan in 2014. In 2024, he became the first Asian player inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

His father, Vece Paes, was part of India’s bronze medal winning hockey team at the 1972 Munich Olympics, while his mother Jennifer Paes captained India’s national basketball team.

Born in Kolkata in 1973, Paes studied in the city and developed his early tennis career there. His mother is also a descendant of 19th century Bengali poet Michael Madhusudan Dutt.

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Leander Paes’s Associations with TMC and BJP

Paes joined the BJP at the party’s headquarters in New Delhi in the presence of Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and Sukanta Majumdar, along with senior party leaders. During the event, Paes described his political entry as a new responsibility after decades in sport. He thanked PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior leaders, stating that he intended to focus on youth and sports development.

Paes said he had represented India for decades and now wanted to serve the country in a different capacity. Kiren Rijiju described Paes’s entry into the BJP as historic, while Sukanta Majumdar referred to him as a “son of Bengal,” citing his upbringing in Kolkata and family roots in the state.

Paes’s induction has triggered speculation that he may contest from the Krishnanagar Uttar Assembly constituency. The seat is considered strategically important, having previously been won by Mukul Roy in 2021 on a BJP ticket before he returned to the TMC.

BJP leaders indicated that the tennis player could also campaign across West Bengal to attract youth voters and strengthen outreach in urban areas. Paes’s entry is also seen as part of the BJP’s effort to counter the TMC’s emphasis on Bengali identity in the upcoming elections. Party leaders also highlighted Paes’s Kolkata roots as a key factor in his political positioning.

The TMC reacted critically to Paes’s induction, describing it as another instance of an “outsider” being brought into the state.

Paes had earlier joined the TMC in October 2021 in Goa in the presence of party chief Mamata Banerjee. The move was part of the party’s expansion attempt beyond West Bengal. However, he did not contest elections during that phase. He had also joined the party earlier in 2014 but did not actively pursue politics at that time.

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Paes’s Domestic Violence Conviction

Paes’s political entry has also drawn attention to a 2022 Mumbai court ruling that found him guilty of domestic violence against his former partner, model and actor Rhea Pillai.

In February 2022, a metropolitan magistrate court held that Paes committed various acts of domestic violence during their live-in relationship. The judgement came in response to a case filed by Pillai alleging verbal, emotional and economic abuse that caused emotional trauma.

The court observed that the relationship between Paes and Pillai, stretching back to 2003, was in the nature of marriage. Paes and Pillai had lived together from around 2005 and had a daughter in 2006. Differences later emerged, leading to Pillai filing a case in 2014 under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, along with a custody petition.

The magistrate held that Pillai had succeeded in proving allegations of emotional and economic violence. The court also observed that female partners in live-in relationships often face disadvantages and noted that the law should be interpreted to protect women in distress.

The court directed Paes to pay monthly maintenance of ₹1 lakh and ₹50,000 per month for rental expenses if Pillai chose to leave their shared residence. Paes was also directed to continue bearing expenses related to their daughter. The court also directed Paes to pay legal expenses. However, it rejected her request for past maintenance and partition of the shared residence.

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