NATIONAL : Renowned actor Rajkummar Rao today took on a new role – that of ‘National Icon’ for voter awareness and education for the Election Commission of India. An MoU was signed with the “Newton” star for a period of 3 years at an event organized in New Delhi in the presence of Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel.

CEC Kumar said “From dazzling audiences on the big screen in various movies, Rajkummar Rao is now taking his star power off-screen to promote an even bigger production: Voter awareness in Elections. His role as Newton, the election officer, truly hit home with the essence of democratic challenges in a Naxal-affected state, making him the perfect choice for the Election Commission. This collaboration aims to harness the influence and popularity of Mr. Rajkummar Rao to encourage citizens, especially youth across the nation to actively participate in the electoral process.”

While urging youth to actively participate in elections CEC Kumar said, “Once you associate with the electioneering process, you will understand the the intrinsic power of democracy and value of your vote”. He appealed to influencers from all walks of life including the media to promote the importance of voting and in pushing up the voter turnout in forthcoming elections.

The signing of the MoU with Rao signifies a shared commitment to empower and educate citizens about the importance of exercising their voting rights. The collaboration will encompass a range of activities, including Rajkummar Rao promoting voter awareness in various TV talk shows/ programs and digital campaigns etc, all aimed at raising awareness about the importance of voting and strengthening the roots of democracy by fostering a more engaged and informed electorate.

ECI associates itself with renowned Indians from various fields and designates them as ECI’s National Icons to motivate voters for participation in the festival of democracy. Last year, the Commission recognised famous actor Pankaj Tripathi as the National Icon. Just last month, the Commission recognised cricket legend and Bharat Ratna awardee Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar as the National Icon. Earlier, during the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, stalwarts like M.S. Dhoni, Aamir Khan and Mary Kom had been the ECI National Icons.