Ace Badminton player Saina Nehwal has joined the ruling BJP. The Olympic medalist met BJP president J.P. Nadda before a formal announcement of her joining the party was made in the presence of general secretary Arun Singh.
“Today, I am joining a party that performs well for the country. [Prime Minister] Modi Ji has done so much for sports in India with initiatives like ‘Khelo India’. Looking forward to work hard for the country and the people,” she said.
Saina Nehwal is the latest in a line of sportspersons joining the BJP. Formerly, cricketer Gautam Gambhir and wrestler Babita Phogat have joined the party. Gautam Gambhir won the Lok Sabha polls last year but Babita Phogat lost in the Haryana Assembly polls.
Saina Nehwal has been a staunch supporter of BJP and has spoken in support of its schemes in the past. She was one of the first celebrities to come out in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), which have caused outrage throughout the country. A number of celebrities have also protested against CAA. Sushant Singh was ousted from Savdhaan India for protesting against CAA. She tweeted, ‘Phir ek baar Modi sarkaar’ after the results of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Saina Nehwal is a former world number 1 who has been honored with prestigious awards like the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award. In addition, she has won both Olympics and Commonwealth Games medals. The Badminton ace is currently ranked ninth.
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