Rajkummar Rao To Be New National Icon Of Election Commission

New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) will induct actor Rajkummar Rao, whose portrayal of an official tasked with conducting polls in the Naxal-affected areas of Chhattisgarh in the Hindi film “Newton” won accolades, as a National Icon. The EC appoints prominent Indians as national icons to motivate voters to participate in elections.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar will formally appoint Rao as a National Icon of the EC on Thursday, PTI reported. Rao’s portrayal as a principled government clerk who is determined to conduct a free-and-fair election in the Naxal-affected areas of Chhattisgarh, overcoming the cynicism and apathy of a security officer, won accolades.

The movie won the National Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi and was also India’s nominee for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 90th Academy Awards. Earlier, the EC recognised actors Pankaj Tripathi, Aamir Khan and sportspersons, such as Sachin Tendulkar, M S Dhoni and M C Mary Kom, as national icons.