CRICKETER Cheteshwar Pujara, the brand ambassador of the Election Commission of India (EC) for Gujarat, set an example on Thursday as he flew down from Dubai to his home town of Rajkot and cast his vote as his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kings XII Punjab released him for this important day. Pujara reached the polling station in New Sahajanand School near Madhapar Chowkdi with his wife Pooja and father Aravindbhai to cast his vote in the morning. District collector Rajendra Kumar, who is also the district election officer, accompanied the 26-year-old cricketer to the polling station. Talking to media-persons here after casting his vote, Pujara said, “As every run is important in cricket, every vote is important in a democracy.” Pujara said he had flown back to Rajkot from Dubai, where he was playing the IPL with his team, on Tuesday evening. The right-handed batsman, who also plays for his Ranji team, Saurashtra, further said he was scheduled to leave for Mumbai later on Wednesday. Punjab will play their first match of India-leg of the seventh season of the IPL in Mumbai on Saturday. The ECI had appointed Pujara and a woman tennis player, Ankita Raina, as its brand ambassadors terming them as youth icons. The Rajkot-based cricketer had since been taking part in ECI’s promotion campaigns encouraging people to come out and vote. Pujara thanked the management of the Punjab team for releasing him to come to Rajkot and cast his vote. His vote also saved ECI’s face, which at one stage, faced the prospect of an embarrassing situation as uncertainties prevailed over whether the young cricketer would be able to exercise his franchise after IPL was shifted to Dubai.
