Age No Bar! At 103, Shyam Saran Negi, India's First Voter, Turns Up To Cast Vote In Himachal Panchayat Polls

While old age has definitely taken its toll, it hasn't stopped India's first voter Shyam Saran Negi from expressing his democratic right - to vote.

On Sunday, at the age of 103, Negi reached his polling booth in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur to exercise his franchise in the Panchayat elections, according to news agency PTI.

PTI

Negi, cast his vote at the Kalpa polling booth, where he was given a warm welcome by laying a red carpet by the district administration.

Kalpa went to polls in the first round of the three-phase panchayati elections in Himachal Pradesh on Sunday.

Negi was honoured by Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa with a Kinnauri 'topi' and shawl, at the polling station. The DC also hoped young voters will be inspired by the spirit of Negi, who turned up to cast his vote despite bad health.

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

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In his message to people, Negi said voters should participate in the election process to elect good and capable candidates. Negi, who had made a special appearance in a Hindi film, ¡°Sanam Re¡±, said he never missed casting his vote, be it Panchayat, Assembly or the Lok Sabha polls.

He appealed to people to elect honest candidates for their panchayats in the state.

ANI

Believed to the first voter in the 1952 General Election, Negi was born on July 1, 1917 and retired as a schoolteacher, as per official records.

Remembering how he became the country's first voter, Negi had earlier said that India's first General Election was held in February 1952 but in tribal areas of the State, the voting took place five months in advance on October 23, 1951 due to fears of inclement weather rendering the exercise impossible during winter.

Also read: 100-YO Shyam Saran Negi Becomes India's Oldest Voter After Casting Vote In Himachal Polls