Veteran tennis player and Trinamool Congress leader Leander Paes on Wednesday said that TMC does not get dragged into agendas of other parties and takes up serious issues.
The newly-inducted leader was addressing a meeting of TMC's Goa unit ahead of his campaigning that will begin from Thursday for Goa assembly elections.
Reacting to the recent allegation that the Mamata Banerjee-led party was contesting the Goa election to divide anti-BJP votes, he said, "We take up hard issues such as water, women's safety and mining, and we take them on head-on. We do not dip our feet into the circles that other parties are trying to dragged us in."
"For the last 30 years, I have represented the country around the world. I have lost many matches, but I knew which tournaments to win at the Grand Slam, Olympics and David Cup," Paes said.
He also hailed TMC leader and Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien and former Goa Chief Minister Luizinho Faleiro and termed them as his inspiration.
"I have been sitting this morning with someone who I look up to tremendously. Faleiro sir is a guide, confidant and a leader that we all can look up to," he said.
The veteran tennis player took the political plunge last month and joined TMC in the presence of Mamata Banerjee.
(With inputs from PTI)