Shyam Saran Negi

Shyam Saran Negi was an Indian school teacher in Kalpa, Himachal Pradesh, who cast the first vote in the 1952 general election in India — the first elections of the Republic of India. Although most of the polling for that first election took place in February 1952, Himachal Pradesh went to the polls six months early because the weather there tends to be inclement in February and March and heavy snowfall during that period would have made it impossible for citizens to reach the polling stations. Negi was a member of the polling team and vividly recalled that he cast his first vote in Shonthong polling station and his polling party had to trek long distances to conduct polling in Purvani – Ribba – Moarang – Nesong over a period of 10 days. Negi cast the first vote on 25 October 1951 in favour of the then Congress candidate for Mandi seat, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur. He voted in every general election since 1951 until his death, and is believed to have been India's oldest voter as well as its first. Shyam Saran Negi also made a special appearance in a Hindi film Sanam Re.