Actor Pankaj Tripathi, who is known for his work in Gangs of Wasseypur, Mirzapur, Bareilly Ki Barfi and several others, has been announced as the National Icon, by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

The actor was already a State Icon of Bihar to create awareness and encourage youth as voters and participate in the elections in Bihar. This time, Pankaj Tripathi will join the new campaign Matdata, in association with ECI and All India Radio. The 52-episode series of 15 minutes each will air every Friday on Vividh Bharti stations and other primary radio channels of AIR in 23 languages. 

Pankaj, in a statement, mentioned that he feels that the ECI has roped him in because of his dedication and commitment as Bihar's State Icon.

"I believe they have seen my dedication and responsibility as the State Icon of Bihar. Whenever there is a requirement to share an audio and video clip to spread awareness for the voters, I promptly share informative details within no time. Mr Rajiv Kumar announced my name as the National Icon is a kind gesture. He also went on to mention that Pankaj does not charge for any commercials for such initiatives and his love towards democracy is highly appreciated. Hence, he announced me as the National Icon of our country," he said.

On the work front, Pankaj is currently shooting the third instalment of the streaming series Mirzapur. He will soon be seen in OMG 2, followed by Gulkanda Tales, a Prime Video series.