Cricketer Rinku Singh was removed from the Election Commission’s voter awareness campaign by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Uttar Pradesh. The cricketer was officially removed from his role as the state icon of the Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) program after an approval from the Election Commission.
The Election Commission cited concerns over political neutrality following his recent engagement to Samajwadi Party MP Priya Saroj, as per media reports.
In a communication to district election officers, the ECI instructed that all promotional content, including posters, banners, videos, and digital media, featuring Rinku Singh be removed with immediate effect.
Political association raises concerns
The decision follows Rinku’s high-profile engagement on June 8 to Priya Saroj, the first-time SP MP from Machhlishahr (Jaunpur). The ceremony, held in Lucknow, was attended by over 20 Members of Parliament, including SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Dimple Yadav, Shivpal Yadav, Jaya Bachchan, and Ramgopal Yadav.
According to ECI sources, while Rinku is acknowledged as a respected sports personality, his personal association with an active political figure could be perceived as a partisan alignment, thereby compromising the credibility and neutrality of the SVEEP campaign.
“ECI acknowledges Rinku’s stature as a renowned sports figure, however his personal ties to a political leader could be perceived as partisan in public, thereby affecting the credibility of the voter awareness drive,” a source familiar to the matter said, reported the Times of India.
Neutrality a core principle
In its letter to the Aligarh District Election Officer, the CEO of Uttar Pradesh underscored the importance of fairness and neutrality in voter outreach initiatives. The directive makes it clear that even perceived political affiliations of campaign ambassadors can pose a challenge to the impartial image the ECI seeks to maintain.
Rinku Singh had been actively featured in voter awareness campaigns across Uttar Pradesh prior to this decision.
Mixed reactions on social media
The ECI's move has drawn mixed reactions online. While some users have called it an overreaction, others defended the decision, emphasizing that public campaigns, especially those related to voting, must be kept free from political influence.
As of now, neither Rinku Singh nor Priya Saroj has issued a public statement on the matter.
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