LUCKNOW: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has removed cricketer Rinku Singh from the position of brand ambassador for its voter awareness campaign. The action comes after Singh’s engagement to Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Priya Saroj. The Election Commission stated that the association could now be seen as politically affiliated, potentially compromising the impartiality of the awareness drive.Following this decision, the ECI has ordered all districts to remove promotional materials — posters, banners, videos, and digital content — bearing Rinku’s name or image. A formal communication has also been sent to district administrations across Uttar Pradesh to ensure compliance.It may be recalled that the cricketer and Priya Saroj, the SP MP from Machhlishahr (Jaunpur), got engaged on June 8.The high-profile ceremony was attended by over 20 Members of Parliament, including SP chief and former CM Akhilesh Yadav, Dimple Yadav, Shivpal Yadav, Jaya Bachchan, and Ramgopal Yadav.The Election Commission underlined that maintaining neutrality and objectivity in all public campaigns was a top priority. While acknowledging Rinku Singh’s stature as a respected athlete and sportsperson, the ECI said that his engagement to an active politician raised legitimate concerns. “His personal ties can now be viewed as politically aligned, and they could compromise the non-partisan nature of our outreach efforts,” the ECI stated.
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