Assembly elections: Newton actor Rajkummar Rao appointed Election Commission's national icon

Rao had portrayed the role of a principled government clerk in the movie Hindi film "Newton" in 2017.

Ahead of the assembly elections in five states, the Election Commission has decided to appoint actor Rajkummar Rao as its national icon.

A formal ceremony will be held on October 26, the poll body said.

Rao had portrayed the role of a principled government clerk in the movie Hindi film "Newton" in 2017.  His character was determined to conduct a fair election in the Maoist-affected areas of Chhattisgarh by overcoming the cynicism and apathy of a security officer. His performance had won accolades and the film 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.

Rajkummar is also known for his work in films with socially relevant themes such as Shahid, Kai Po Che, CityLights, Aligarh, Newton, Omerta, Love Sonia, The White Tiger, Badhaai Do, and Bheed. His ability to transcend into grounded characters has always been hailed by fans and movie critics alike. He will be next seen in Mr and Mrs Mahi with Janhvi Kapoor.

Ahead of the polls, the EC appoints prominent Indians as national icons in a bid to motivate voters to participate in elections. Earlier personalities such as Pankaj Tripathi, Aamir Khan, Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, and MC Mary Kom were appointed national icons by the poll body.

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"We are the largest democracy in the world, and it is our prime responsibility to exercise our voting rights with due diligence. It is a responsibility that should not be ignored. Everyone should be aware of when the elections are happening and when is that window to go out and vote," Tendulkar had said after his appointment as the national icon.

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Over 161 million people in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Mizoram will vote in assembly elections next month. While Congress is in power in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh is ruled by BJP, Telangana by Bharat Rashtra Samithi, and Mizoram by Mizo National Front (MNF).