Shyam Saran, first voter of Independent India, casts his postal ballot for Himachal polls

106-year-old Shyam Saran Negi, the first voter of Independent India, exercised his right to franchise for the 34th time for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections through a postal ballot at his residence in Kinnaur district. Negi, a teacher by profession who hails from the tribal district of Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh exercised his right to franchise for the 34th time for the 14th Vidhan Sabha elections through a postal ballot at his home in Kalpa. He cast his vote through a postal ballot for the first time.

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Interesting fact to know:

• Shyam Saran Negi, Born in July 1917, voted for the first time in 1951 in the general elections of India and has voted for sixteen times in Lok Sabha Elections. He cast his vote in every Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha and all local bodies right after 1951. He has also been made a state election icon in 2014.
• Popularly known as Master Shyam Saran, the centenarian has voted in every election since 1951 and has never missed an opportunity to vote.After casting his vote, Negi said that every citizen should vote for strengthening the democratic set-up.
• “The young voters should consider their duty to vote and contribute in strengthening the Nation,.
• Negi was brought on a red carpet to the booth where he exercised his right to franchise and soon thereafter his vote was sealed in an envelope and dropped in the ballot box. Sadiq along with the returning officer cum SDM Kalpa, Major (retd) Shashank Gupta and the other officers and officials of the district administration honoured the first voter of Independent India.
• Meanwhile, as many as 5,093 people have cast their vote through the postal ballot in Himachal Pradesh for the Assembly elections. Voting by postal ballot commenced on November 1 and will be completed before November 11.

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