EC appoints gymnast Dipa Karmakar as Tripura poll icon

The Election Commission has appointed ace gymnast Dipa Karmakar as Tripura state's election icon to popularise the election-related matters, a top official said here Friday.

"Election Commission has appointed star gymnast Dipa Karmakar as Tripura state election icon. Dipa would campaign across Tripura to enrol more number of voters in the electoral list and cast more votes by the electorates," Tripura's Chief Electoral Officer Ashutosh Jindal told IANS.

"The Election Commission has been nominating celebrities as state and national icon to encourage people to enroll their names in the voters' list and cast more votes during elections," he said.

Karmakar was the first Indian woman who clinched bronze medal in artistic gymnastics in 20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

A five-time national overall individual champion between 2010-2014, Karmakar is a physical instructor under Tripura's sports and youth affairs department.