Bharat Ratna Awardee, Legendary Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has been declared as the National Icon of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to create awareness among voters and encourage their participation in the electoral process. Addressing an event in Akawani Bhawan in New Delhi today, Mr. Tendulkar said this is a new inning for him after retiring from cricket. He said, every vote is important in the development of the nation. He encouraged the voters especially the young citizen to cast their votes.

During the event, a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with Sachin Tendulkar for three years in the presence of Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar. Through this partnership, ECI aims to address the challenges of urban and youth apathy toward voting. Earlier in a statement, the ECI said, this collaboration would mark a significant step towards leveraging Sachin Tendulkar's unparalleled impact with the youth for increasing voters’ participation in the forthcoming elections, especially in general elections scheduled to be held in the next year.

The Election Commission has continuously associated itself with renowned Indians from various fields and designates them as its national icons to motivate voters. Last year, the Commission recognized famous actor Pankaj Tripathi as the National Icon. Earlier, during the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, Cricketer MS Dhoni, Actor Aamir Khan, and Boxing Champion Mary Kom were the ECI national icons.