Shyam Saran Negi (original) (raw)

Shyam Saran Negi (1 July 1917 – 5 November 2022) was an Indian school teacher in Kalpa, Himachal Pradesh, who cast the first vote in the 1951 general election in India — the nation's first election since the end of the British Rule in 1947. 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 d