At The Age Of 102, India's First Voter Shyam Saran Negi Casts Vote For 31st Time

As 59 Lok Sabha constituencies across nine states went to polls in the seventh and final phase of the 2019 General Elections one of the early voters at the polling booth in Kalpa village, Himachal Pradesh, was Shyam Saran Negi.

The 102-year-old, who voted for the 31st time in his life on Sunday said he had never missed an opportunity to vote.

PIB

This is his 17th vote in a parliamentary election, starting from the first General Election in 1951.

Negi, a retired school teacher also holds another unique record - he was the first ever voter in the history of independent India. While the rest of India voted in February 1952, the polls were conducted in remote areas of Himachal in October 1951 due to fears of inclement weather during winters.

Thus Negi, who was on election duty became the first voter in India. Since then he has never missed a vote exercising his franchise in 17 General Elections and 14 Assembly Elections.?

BCCL

Negi who remained mostly unknown for decades was 'identified' by chance by an election official in 2007. Since then he was honored by the EC and even made the brand ambassador of Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) campaign by the Election Commission.