Jammu, Sep 18 (IANS): Amid the lines of enthusiastic people of Jammu and Kashmir 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.

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 votes 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.

The first of the three-phase Assembly elections spanned 24 constituencies in Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama, and Shopian districts in the Kashmir Valley and Ramban, Doda, and Kishtwar districts in the Jammu division.

As per the Election Commission data, the voting turnout, as of 6 p.m., was 58.19 per cent.

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 among recognised political parties. There are 90 Independents in the fray too.