First Voter of Independent India Dies at 106, Two Days After Voting for Himachal Assembly Polls

07:40 GMT, 5 November 2022

Deexa Khanduri

Sputnik correspondent

Shyam Saran Negi accidentally became the first voter in independent India by submitting his ballot early in the morning of October 25, 1951. He voted in the wee hours as he had to travel to another polling station to conduct polling. It's customary for polling officers or election workers to vote earlier than usual.

Sputnik

Shyam Saran Negi died on Saturday at the age of 106 in Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur district.

Negi cast his vote for the 34th time on November 2 for the Himachal Pradesh assembly election through a postal ballot. Voting in the state will be held on November 12, however, citizens over age 80 can cast their vote earlier and from home.

During India's first parliamentary elections, polls in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh were also held in October 1951 due to harsh winter and snowfall, whereas elections in other parts of the country were held in January and February 1952.

In 2013, Negi was made the brand ambassador by the Election Commission and featured in several electoral campaigns.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur expressed condolences regarding Negi’s death and said that he had cast his vote for the 34th time, fulfilling his responsibility as a citizen.