BJP National President JP Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress National General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi, Himachal Chief Electoral Officer Manish Garg, Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the death of 106 Shyam Saran Negi, the country’s first voter. Gandhi et al. Prime Minister Modi also mentioned the death of Shyam Saran Negi during a rally organized in Sundernagar.
Shyam Saran Negi inspired youth: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, ‘I came to know about the death of Shyam Saran Negi when I was coming from New Delhi to Sundernagar in the morning. Negi had voted more than 30 times in his life. Just a few days back, Negi had cast his vote for the Himachal Pradesh elections through postal ballot. He discharged his duty before his death. He said that Negi’s approach towards democracy would inspire the youth of the country. With a heavy heart, I bow my head to pay homage and express my deepest condolences to the loved ones.
The Chief Minister condoled on Twitter:
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur tweeted to condole the death. He wrote, ‘I am saddened to learn about the passing of Shyam Saran Negi, India’s first voter. While performing his duty, he cast his vote through postal ballot for the 34th time on 2 November. This thought will always make me emotional.’
Negi was the brand ambassador of Himachal
Himachal Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Manish Garg said that Negi was also the brand ambassador of the Election Commission. An Election Commission spokesperson called him “a man of extraordinary faith in democracy”.
