Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar to be designated as 'national icon'

Cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar will on Wednesday be designated as a "national icon" of the Election Commission (EC) to encourage greater voter participation in the electoral process.

A memorandum of understanding will be signed between Tendulkar and the poll panel here on Wednesday. As part of the three-year agreement, Tendulkar will spread voter awareness.

"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.

Through the partnership, the EC seeks to address the challenges of urban and youth apathy towards voting.

The EC has been associating itself with renowned Indians from various fields by designating them as its "national icons" to motivate voters for participation in the electoral process.

Last year, the commission had 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.