Himachal Elections: PM praises Shyam Saran Negi for exercising his right to franchise for 34th time.

November 3, 2022

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised 106-year-old Shyam Saran Negi for exercising his right to franchise for the 34th time.
The 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 Kalpa.
Negi, who has been witness to the election process starting from putting the stamp on ballot paper to EVM to VVPAT, has never missed his date with the poll and voted in all panchayat, Assembly and Parliament elections.
Till now, he had cast his vote in all the elections at the booth and this was the first time he cast his vote through postal ballot.
Negi had expressed his willingness to cast vote at the booth this time also but his health is not good and so he decided to vote at home, said Deputy Commissioner, Kinnaur, Abid Hussain Sadiq, who honoured Negi with a cap and a shawl.
Postal booth was set up in the compound of his house and Negi, a teacher by profession, was brought on a red carpet till the booth amid traditional music.