Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday was recognised as the 'national icon' of the Election Commission to raise voter awareness. The EC's move comes ahead of the Lok Sabha election in 2024. The announcement was made at an event in New Delhi in the presence of Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Shri Anup Chandra Pandey and Shri Arun Goel.
The EC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tendulkar for three years. As part of this three-year agreement, Tendulkar will be engaged to increase voter awareness. The collaboration intends to tackle the challenges posed by urban and youth disinterest in the electoral process, as recognized by the Election Commission (EC).
Speaking on the occasion, Tendulkar said: "We had players from different parts of the country, different religions, different castes, different cultures, and they were all there in the dressing room. But that was our strength."
"Incorporating Tendulkar's unparalleled influence among the youth, this partnership marks a significant stride in augmenting voter participation, particularly in the upcoming 2024 general elections (to Lok Sabha)," stated the EC in an official release.
The EC has consistently engaged with renowned individuals from diverse domains, designating them as "national icons". This initiative serves to inspire citizens to engage in the electoral process.
In 2022, the commission appointed actor Pankaj Tripathi as a national icon. Earlier, eminent figures like MS Dhoni, Aamir Khan, and Mary Kom had assumed the role of EC's national icons during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. According to the EC, Sachin Tendulkar, a former Rajya Sabha MP and Bharat Ratna awardee, would play a significant role in making voters understand their electoral rights and responsibilities.
"This collaboration would mark a significant step towards leveraging Tendulkar's unparalleled impact with the youth demographic for increasing voters’ participation in the forthcoming elections, especially in General Elections 2024. The EC through this partnership aims to bridge the gap between citizens, especially youth and urban populations and the electoral process thereby, trying to address the challenges of urban and youth apathy," the EC said in a statement.