Shimla (Himachal Pradesh):Independent India's first voter, the 105-year-old Shyam Saran Negi passed away Saturday morning at his native place in Himachal Pradesh's Kalpa, days after he cast his last vote in the 14th Assembly elections of the state. A schoolmaster by profession, Master SS Negi was very active and cast his vote in each general election since 1952. Negi cast his vote for the first time on October 25, 1951, and lastly on November 2 in 2022 Himachal elections. He had born on July 1, 1917 and took last breath on November 5, 2022.
"Negi had cast his vote for the 34th time on November 2 this year which became his last, a feat that was acknowledged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "This is commendable and should serve as an inspiration for the younger voters to take part in the elections and strengthen our democracy," PM Modi had tweeted.
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Chief Minister Jairam Thakur consoled Negi's demise and said that the memory of the first voter of the country casting his last vote will always be emotional. "Saddened to hear the news of the demise of Shyam Saran Negi ji, the first voter of independent India and who belonged to Kinnaur. While performing his duty, he cast his postal vote for the assembly elections for the 34th time on November 2, this memory will always be emotional, Thakur tweeted. May God bless his virtuous soul at his feet and give strength to the bereaved family members, he added.
Deputy Commissioner of Kinnaur Amandeep Garg said that Negi will be cremated with full state honour. Chief Electoral Officer, Maneesh Garg expressed his condolences on the demise of Negi and said that he motivated generations of voters for exercising their right to franchise for strengthening the democratic set up.
In a statement, Garg said, Such was his commitment that he voted till the last breath of his life as he had cast his vote through postal ballot on 2nd November, at his home in Kalpa. "Negi was a noble human being and I pray to the almighty to give peace to the departed soul and strength to the family members to bear the irreparable loss. He will be cremated with full state honours today," the statement said.
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The first general elections in independent India were held in 1952, however, due to snowfall in tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh, voting in the state was held five months earlier in October 1951. Negi was among the first generation of votes in post independent India and cast his vote for the first time on October 25, 1951. For the last time, Master Negi exercised his franchise in the latest Himachal elections on November 2, 2022.
Negi had ensured that his vote was counted in every Lok Sabha election, Assembly election, and Panchayat elections held since 1952. He was officially declared the first voter of independent India after an initiative taken by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in the year 2007. Three years later in June 2010, the then Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla congratulated Negi on being the first voter in the country at a meeting in Kalpa.
