India has 2.49 lakh voters aged above 100: CEC Rajiv Kumar

The Chief Election Commissioner flagged off the bicycle rally at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune's Balewadi area.

There are 2.49 lakh voters aged above 100 in India, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said on November 9.

Besides, 1.80 crore voters are above 80 years of age, Mr. Kumar said after flagging off a bicycle rally in Maharashtra's Pune city on Wednesday to create awareness about voter registration, as part of the national level launch of a special summary revision of the voters' list.

The Election Commission of India's initiative is aimed at increasing the electoral rolls in urban areas.

Explaining the robustness and beauty of the Indian electoral rolls, Mr. Kumar said the country has voters from the highest peaks of Himalayas, from the 6,000KM coastline in south, deserts in the west and regions from the east.

"You will be happy to know we have close to 2.49 lakh voters in our rolls who are (aged) 100 plus and what a relief and ecstasy it gives when you interact with them and find that they have been voting all through their lives," he said.

“Besides, there are 1.80 crore voters who are above 80 years of age,” he told reporters after the rally.

The CEC said India's first voter Shyam Saran Negi, who recently died, was 106 years old and voted through postal ballot just three days before his death. "That is the spirit," he added.