SHIMLA: The first voter of independent India Shyam Saran Negi (106) has passed away this morning in his native Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh. Officials informed that the funeral will be conducted with official honours.

District Collector, Abid Hussain said that the district administration is making arrangements for Negi's funeral and also a band is being arranged to bid him adieu honourably. There were reports that he was suffering from age-related ailments.

He had his postal vote on November 2 for the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections. Negi was born on July 1, 1917. Rt. He worked as a school teacher. Negi was the first one who had cast vote in the first election of independent India in 1952 and is the oldest voter in the country. Shyam Sharan Negi has also acted in the Hindi film ‘Sanam Re’.