NEW DELHI: Badminton champion and former world number one Saina Nehwal on Wednesday joined the BJP. Her elder sister, Chandranshu Nehwal, also joined the party simultaneously.

At a formal joining ceremony at the BJP national headquarters in New Delhi after meeting party president J.P. Nadda, Ms. Nehwal hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an “inspiration” with his “hard work” for the country.

"I am a hard-working person and like hard-working people. [Prime Minister] Narendra Modi sir has been working day and night for the country. If I can do something for the country with him, it will be my good fortune. I draw a lot of inspiration from Modi sir. He inspires me,” she said.

BJP general secretary and Rajya Sabha member Arun Singh, who was present at her induction into the party, said Ms. Nehwal had brought glory to the country with her 24 international titles and “she is an inspirational figure”.