Mumbai: Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar recognised as ‘national icon’ of the Election Commission (EC) to encourage greater voter participation in the electoral process.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed on Wednesday with Tendulkar for three years period at a function in New Delhi in the presence of the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar. As part of the three-year agreement, Tendulkar will spread voter awareness.
Through the partnership, the EC seeks to address the challenges of urban and youth apathy toward voting.
“This collaboration would mark a significant step towards leveraging Tendulkar’s unparalleled impact with the youth for increasing voters’ participation in the forthcoming elections, especially in general elections (to Lok Sabha), 2024,” the EC said in a statement.
The EC has been associating itself with renowned Indians from various fields by designating them as its “national icons” to motivate voters to participate in the electoral process.
Last year, the commission recognised actor Pankaj Tripathi as a national icon. Earlier, during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, stalwarts such as MS Dhoni, Aamir Khan, and Mary Kom had been the EC’s national icons.
