Actor Tovino Thomas asks Kerala candidates not to use his picture for election campaigning

Thiruvananthapuram: A left-front candidate in Kerala, V S Sunilkumar of the CPI, encountered embarrassment after using a photo with popular actor Tovino Thomas as part of his election campaign, unaware that Tovino was an ambassador for the Election Commission's voter education campaign.

The former minister shared a picture with Tovino Thomas on his social media page, sparking heated debates online. Tovino has been engaged as an ambassador for the Election Commission's Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation programme in Kerala.

In a social media post, Tovino stated that his image should not be utilised for any campaign by candidates, as he serves as an ambassador for the SVEEP programme. He clarified that if anyone was employing his image for campaigning, it was done without his knowledge.

Subsequently, Sunilkumar removed the photo featuring Tovino and said that he was unaware that the actor was an ambassador for the Election Commission's campaign.