Everester, B’wood musician chosen poll icons

Patna: The Election Commission has roped in female Everest conqueror Santosh Yadav and Bollywood music composer Shashi Suman as state poll icons. The duo will hold awareness programmes across the state to improve voters’ turnout in the remaining four phases of assembly election.
“All stakeholders of the society need to participate to make the elections successful. We are hopeful that people will connect with our mascots and come out in larger numbers to exercise their franchise,” additional chief electoral officer (ACEO) of Bihar R Lakshmanan said on Wednesday.Folk singer Sharda Sinha is already a state election icon and features in many audio-visual advertisements.
Yadav, 46, the first Indian woman to have twice scaled the Mount Everest – in 1992 and 1993 – is a daughter-in-law of Munger. She will hold a slew of awareness programmes in the districts from October 15 to November 3 making people aware of their right to exercise franchise.
“The right to vote is an honour accorded to us by the Constitution and every honour should be respected. I will request people to vote without any fear or discrimination and set an example of a strong democracy,” Yadav, who was also the district election icon of Munger where polling was concluded in the first phase on October 12, said.
Recalling her childhood days, Yadav, who was born in Haryana, said, “As a kid, I saw the elders in family getting up early morning on poll day and getting ready to go to vote. That was the first thing they did on that day.”
Bollywood music composer Shashi Suman, who is associated with films such as Mary Kom and Ram Leela, is a registered voter in Gaya. “I will try and make people understand that the government puts a lot of effort in conducting free, fair and participatory polls. Most importantly, a lot of public money is put into the entire process. Hence, people need to come out of their homes and vote for their preferred candidate,” Suman said.
Suman has also performed in about 600 live shows in India and abroad and lent his voice to a popular number ‘Mora piya mose bolat nahi’ in ‘Rajniti’ movie. Suman, who will be focusing on urban voters, said he is also composing a tune for the Bihar polls which will be ready shortly.
An election jingle, ‘Hind ki nayi nasl suno’, by Patna Guitar Circle was also played on the occasion which urged people, especially youngsters, to cast their vote.