Shyam Saran Negi, known as “India’s first voter,” passed away in Kalpa, Himachal Pradesh, at the age of 105.He was believed to have been the first voter in India following its independence from British rule to cast a ballot in the general elections of 1951. In order to avoid a lot of snow, the polls in his state opened for the 1952 election five months earlier in 1951.
Since then, he has voted in every national and state election. On November 2, he cast his 34th and final vote through postal ballot in the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections.In an effort to promote voting, Mr. Negi was appointed brand ambassador for the Election Commission of India in 2014. He also appeared in a Google video urging people to participate in the general election that year.
The death of Mr. Negi has been mourned by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur.
