Indian Olympic hero and star boxer Vijender Singh has quit Congress and joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the general elections on Wednesday.

Vijender Singh, who was once considered as the poster boy of Indian boxing, joined the saffron party in the presence of BJP's National General Secretary Vinod Tawde at party headquarters in New Delhi.

Vijender Singh's previous Lok Sabha battle

He joined the Congress in 2019 and contested the Lok Sabha election from South Delhi constituency and lost to BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri.

Speaking after joining the party Vijender said, "I have joined the BJP in the interest of the nation and to serve the people."

"Ever since the Modi government came to power the kind of respect the sportspersons are getting across the globe is commendable" he told Indian UNI news agency.

In his illustrious career, Singh, 38, won a bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

He was the first Indian boxer to achieve it.

He also secured bronze at the 2009 World Championships and the 2010 Commonwealth Games, as well as silver at the 2006 and 2014 Commonwealth Games.