India

Two Days After Casting Last Ballot, India’s First Voter Passes Away In Himachal Pradesh

By
OB Bureau

New Delhi: He voted for India from 1952 to 2022. Independent India’s first voter, Shyam Saran Negi, passed away in Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur on Saturday. He was 105. Negi died of natural causes and will be cremated with full state honours, officials in Kinnaur said, The Indian Express reported.

Negi, who first voted in 1952, had even cast his postal ballot vote for the 2022 Assembly elections two days ago.

During India’s first general elections in 1951-52, polling in Kinnaur was held several months before the rest of the country because of geographical reasons – the district being a high-altitude region, snowfall would have made the exercise difficult during the winter. Negi, then 34 years old, cast his vote at Kalpa and became the first voter in free India.

Born on July 1, 1917, Negi claimed he had cast his vote in every parliamentary, Assembly and panchayat election.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur expressed condolences on Negi’s death and said that he had cast his vote for the 34th time, fulfilling his responsibility as a citizen. Negi was featured in several awareness campaigns and ads of the Election Commission and private companies.

OB Bureau

Recent Posts

‘Kalki Avatar’ Row In Odisha: GA, BDA Officials Inspect Bhubaneswar Ashram

Bhubaneswar: In the wake of a controversy triggered by reports about a boy being projected…

November 18, 2024

[Watch] Contestant Mocking Deepika Padukone’s Mental Health On Comedy Show Is Not Funny, Say Angry Fans

New Delhi: A contestant appearing to mock actor Deepika Padukone's battle with depression on Samay…

November 18, 2024

Former Odisha Minister & Senior BJP Leader Samir Dey Passes Away; CM Announces State Funeral

Cuttack: Senior BJP leader and former minister Samir Dey breathed his last on Monday while…

November 18, 2024

Maharashtra Elections: In A Politically Splintered State, Will Independents Be The Game Changer?

Mahayuti vs Maha Vikas Aghadi - it's an electoral Mahabharat in Maharashtra, albeit a lot…

November 18, 2024

No Pressure: AAP’s Kailash Gahlot After Joining BJP; ‘He’s A Free Man,’ Says Kejriwal

New Delhi: Former Delhi minister and senior AAP leader Kailash Gahlot, who resigned from the…

November 18, 2024

Kharagpur-Visakhapatnam Expressway Through Odisha Soon: Minister

Bhubaneswar: A greenfield highway connecting Kharagpur in West Bengal and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh will…

November 18, 2024

‘Randi Pua Ananta’ Row: Actor Manoj Mishra Seeks Apology From People Of Odisha, Says ‘No Intention To Question Fakir Mohan’

Bhubaneswar: Maintaining his opinion regarding the title of Sabyasachi Mohapatra’s upcoming film, ‘Randi Pua Ananta’— based…

November 18, 2024

Owner, Manager Arrested A Day After 3 Engineering Students Drown In Mangaluru Resort’s Swimming Pool

New Delhi: A day after three women students drowned in the swimming pool of a…

November 18, 2024