Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir has joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the upcoming general election in India, Times of India reported on Friday.
According to ToI the former opening batsman joined the ruling political party in Delhi in the presence of Union ministers Arun Jaitley and Ravi Shankar Prasad.
“I am joining this party (BJP) after getting influenced by PM Narendra Modi’s vision. I am honoured to get the opportunity to join this platform,” Gambhir was quoted as saying.
Earlier this month, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had directly called on Bollywood and sports stars, among others, to urge Indians to vote in the country’s upcoming mammoth elections.
In 29 rapid-fire tweets, Modi tagged cricketers Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Bollywood actors Ranveer Singh and Vicky Kaushal, asking them to inspire others to exercise their franchise in the world’s largest democracy.
Modi, 68, swept his right-wing Hindu nationalist BJP to power in 2014, forming the country’s first majority government in almost three decades.
But despite remaining popular, he faces a challenge to repeat the feat when India’s 900 million voters cast ballots between April 11 and May 19.
The opposition says Modi’s flagship policies have failed to produce promised jobs, while thousands of debt-ridden farmers have committed suicide in recent years.
His party, however, seems to have gained ground after India launched air strikes on Pakistan last month in response to the Pulwama attack.
