The Election Commission has taken strong action and ordered to remove cricketer Rinku Singh from the SVEEP (Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation) campaign due to his recent engagement with Samajwadi Party MP Priya Saroj.
The district administrations have been instructed by the commission to take down any promotional materials pertaining to the star batsman, including banners, posters, videos and website content, regarding the awareness drive. The Election Commission has clarified that retaining him in the SVEEP campaign following his relationship with the SP leader Priya Saroj would be deemed inappropriate, as it could suggest political bias or interest.
Rinku Singh was appointed as the representative of the voter awareness initiative by the Uttar Pradesh government. He appeared in numerous government advertisements, stadium billboards, social media campaigns and video messages. However, on the commission’s orders, he is now being removed from all these platforms.
Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur District Election Officer and Additional District Magistrate for Finance and Revenue, Lalta Prasad has issued directives to all Sub-District Magistrates and election-related officers, as well as the SVEEP teams after the instructions from the Election Commission. According to the ADM, subordinates have been given specific instructions to carry out this task.
Chief Electoral Officer’s office convayed that Rinku Singh is an icon of the state. The latter was involved in the voter awareness campaign. However, if an individual becomes affiliated with a political party in any capacity or if there is any suspicion of their potential involvement in the elections, they cannot participate in the awareness drive. This could create a conflict with their personal interests.
Machhali Shahar MP Priya Saroj got engaged to Rinku Singh in June 2025 and the couple was frequently spotted together in public venues, particularly at cricket matches. Their photographs also gained significant attention on social media.
The Election Commission felt compelled to address the situation and expressed concerns that political influence in a crucial initiative such as voter awareness might compromise the integrity of the elections.
