Actor Raj Kumar Rao to be Election Commission’s national icon

New Delhi, Oct 25 : The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday announced that it will appoint Bollywood actor Raj Kumar Rao as its national icon for the upcoming elections.

A formal ceremony will take place on Thursday, the poll body said.

The ECI appoints national icons to encourage voter participation in the electoral process.

On September 3, the ECI had appointed legendary cricketer and Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar as its national icon.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in September with Tendulkar for three years at a function in the presence of the ChiefElectionCommissioner Rajiv Kumar,ElectionCommissioners Arun Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel.

As part of the three-year agreement, Tendulkar will spread voter awareness.

The poll panel is undertaking this exercise ahead of the Assemblyelectionsin Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Mizoram and the 2024 Lok Sabhaelections.

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