E-Paper
HP polls: India’s first voter exercises his franchise through postal ballot
Though the option of postal ballot is not new for India, it is for the first time that it is being extended to voters in Himachal; it is available for people over the age of 80, people with disabilities greater than 40% and absentee voters
Seventy-one years after he became Independent India’s first voter, Shyam Saran Negi cast his vote through postal ballot on Wednesday.
Though the option of postal ballot is not new for India, it is for the first time that it is being extended to voters in Himachal. It is available for people over the age of 80, people with disabilities greater than 40% and absentee voters.
Absentee voters include essential services officials including doctors, para-medical staff, ambulance service of the health department, drivers and conductors of Himachal Road Transport Corporation, excluding those on local route bus services, fire services, staff on milk supply service of HP State Milk Federation and Milk Cooperative Societies, local media persons authorised by ECI, pump operator and turner in Jal Shakti department and electrician and lineman in HPSEB.
The election commission had fixed October 21, 2022 as the date by which voters wishing to cast a vote through postal ballot could apply for it by submitting Form 12-D to the Returning Officer (RO).
Total 5,093 votes have been cast since Tuesday through postal ballot. As many as 366 people chose this option in Kangra, 297 in Kullu ,1, 991 in Mandi, 528 in Una, and 315 in Solan. In Shimla, the number was 669 while it was 89 in Kinnaur.
Negi voting for 34th time
Meanwhile, it is for the 34th time in a life span of 106 years that Negi has exercised his franchise. He has been casting his ballot at the polling station in Kalpa in Kinnaur. Born on July 1, 1917, Negi was a teacher in a government school and was assigned poll duty during the first elections. He had requested the polling party at his village to allow him to cast his vote quickly so that he could head to the polling station where he was assigned duty. The officer concerned acceded to his request and he became the country’s first voter. Ever since, he has never missed a chance to vote, be it a panchayat election or Lok Sabha poll.
On Wednesday, the election party reached Negi’s home and felicitated him before he cast his vote. “Despite his age, Negiji has been walking to polling stations to cast his vote. This time, due to his poor health, he sent an application seeking postal ballot facilities,” said deputy commission Abid Hussain Sadiq Kinnaur.
