The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, Rajiv Kumar, on Wednesday said India has more than 2.5 lakh voters who are over 100 years old.
According to the Election Commission, there are 1,83,53,347 aged over 80. The precise number of centenarian voters is pegged at 2,55,598. While the number of teenaged voters (18-19) is 1,52,34,341 in India, the number of those in the age range of 20-29 is 20,06,65,436.
Kumar also expressed his happiness at meeting India’s first voter, 106-year-old Shyam Saran Negi in Himachal Pradesh.
“How amazing it is that they have been voting for these many years. He cast votes three days prior to his last breath,” said Rajiv Kumar of Negi. The Election Commission team had brought a red carpet for Negi as he cast his postal ballot for the Himachal assembly election.
The election commissioner was in Pune on Wednesday to flag off a 20 km cycle rally that was launched as part of a special drive to spread electoral awareness to the urban youth.
Addressing those who gathered for the rally, the CEC said that Pune is among the cities which has the lowest voter turnout. He said the cycle rally was launched for this reason. He also urged more young people to register and vote.
