Doda centenarian, who has never missed voting since 1951

Amid the lines of enthusiastic people, who came out to exercise their right to franchise in the Assembly elections—the first since 2014, was a special voter, who has been participating in India’s festival of democracy without fail since the first Lok Sabha polls in 1951-52.

Come out and vote

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I have never missed a chance to vote and I will continue as long as I am able… my only appeal is that all voters should come out to vote… we can make ourselves heard through the power of vote. Prem Nath, Centenarian voter

Prem Nath, who said he was almost 100 years old (99 years and 6 months), turned out to vote in Doda in the Jammu division.

Speaking to reporters after casting his vote, Prem Nath, who said that he had retired from service in 1964, said he had always made it a habit to regularly cast his vote in all elections since India’s first-ever parliamentary elections, as per a video shared by the Information and Public Relations Department of Doda.

Saying he could not speak much, he stressed that casting votes was a responsibility in democracy and hence, he regularly came out to perform his duty.

The near centenarian also appealed to all people to come out and exercise their franchise. The exemplary elder citizen was not alone in his enthusiasm for voting. A 95-year-old man and 82-year-old woman, Bhag Dai also came out to vote in Doda, while there were many other examples of senior citizens, including those with age-related ailments or other disabilities who came out to vote, helped by their family members or volunteers at the polling booths.

On the other hand, several first-time voters also cast their ballots and posed proudly for photographs with their ink-marked fingers.

Several voters had brought future voters, such as a family in Kishtwar, which were accompanied by a toddler and a boy, while a mother came in to vote in Kishtwar carrying her swaddled child.

A total of 23.27 lakh electors are eligible to decide the fate of 229 candidates, including those belonging to the Congress, the BJP, and the PDP parties.