January 29, 2020: Ace badminton player Saina Nehwal joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), becoming the latest sports star to join the national party.

Saina Nehwal, who became the first Indian woman to rank as world number one, represented the country in three Olympic Games and also won a bronze at the 2012 Olympics. In 2016, she was conferred the Padma Bhushan by the Modi government.

"Today, I am joining a party that performs well for the country. 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.

Nehwal's elder sister Chandranshu also joined the party along with her.

At the induction, BJP general secretary Arun Singh told reporters that Saina had brought glory to the country with her many international titles.

Nehwal's induction comes less than a fortnight before the Delhi assembly polls, a significant electoral test for the BJP which has faced a slew of losses in the past year.

Wrestling champions Babita Phogat and Yogeshwar Dutt, and former hockey team captain Sandep Singh had joined the BJP weeks before the Haryana assembly election in October 2019.