Lok Sabha Election 2019: Phase 1 voting kicks off today; FAQs, polling in 91 seats

From April 11, India will undergo a two-month-long process to elect its next government. The Lok Sabha Elections 2019 will be conducted across the country in seven phases, the first of which will take place on April 11. A total of 18 states and two union territories will vote in the first phase of Lok Sabha election, beginning the process of electing a new government.  

In the first phase, citizens of 20 states will vote for 91 out of the 543 seats that are up for grabs. In the second phase, 97 seats will go to polls. The third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh phases will witness citizens voting for 115, 71, 51, 59, 59 seats respectively.

Also read: Lok Sabha Election 2019: Poll dates, full schedule, voting FAQs, election results, constituencies' details

As India gears up to vote, here are a few frequently asked questions about the elections:    

Which states will vote on Phase 1 of Lok Sabha Elections 2019?

The states that are going to start off Lok Sabha Elections 2019 on Phase 1 are Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andaman and Lakshadweep.

Which constituencies will vote on Phase 1 of Lok Sabha Elections 2019?

Phase 1 of Lok Sabha Elections will witness 25 parliamentary constituencies in Andhra Pradesh, 2 in Arunachal Pradesh, 5 in Assam, 4 in Bihar, 1 in Chhattisgarh, 2 in Jammu and Kashmir, 7 in Maharashtra, 1 in Manipur, 2 in Meghalaya, 1 in Mizoram, 1 in Nagaland, 4 in Odisha, 1 in Sikkim, 17 in Telangana, 1 in Tripura, 8 in Uttar Pradesh, 5 in Uttarakhand, 2 in West Bengal, 1 in Andaman and 1 in Lakshadweep going to polls.

Following are the constituencies in each of the Phase 1 states:

Andhra Pradesh - Araku, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Kakinada, Amalapuram, Rajahmundry, Narasapuram, Eluru, Machilipatnam, Vijayawada, Guntur, Narasaraopet, Bapatla, Ongole, Nandyal, Kurnool, Anantapur, Hindupur, Kadapa, Nellore, Tirupati, Rajampet, Chittoor.

Arunachal Pradesh - Arunachal Pradesh West and Arunachal Pradesh East.

Assam - Tezpur, Kalibor, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, and Lakhimpur.

Bihar - Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada, and Jamui.

Chhattisgarh - Bastar.

Jammu and Kashmir - Baramulla, and Jammu.

Maharashtra - Wardha, Ramtek, Nagpur, Bhandara-Gondiya, Gadchiroli-Chimur, Chandrapur, and Yavatmal-Washim

Manipur - Outer Manipur.

Meghalaya - Shillong, and Tura.

Mizoram - Mizoram.

Nagaland - Nagaland.

Odisha - Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Berhampur, and  Koraput.

Sikkim - Sikkim.

Telangana - Adilabad, Peddapalle, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Zahirabad, Medak, Malkajgiri, Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Chevella, Mahbubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Nalgonda, Bhongir, Warangal, Mahabubabad, and Khammam.

Tripura - Tripura West.

Uttar Pradesh - Saharanpur, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Buddha Nagar.

Uttarakhand - Tehri Garhwal, Garhwal, Almora, Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar, and Hardwar.

West Bengal - Coochbehar, and Alipurduar.

Andaman - Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Lakshadweep - Lakshadweep.

Also read: Lok Sabha Election 2019: Poll dates, full schedule, Voting FAQs, election results, constituencies' details

What are the major parties in the states voting in Phase 1?

While national parties Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress have their presence in most states in the country, regional parties are also a force to reckon with. To begin with Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party and Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh that have formed an alliance will prove to be a forceful third front in the state.

Then there is Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha and Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) in Sikkim that have strengthened their grasp with multiple successive terms in the respective states.

On the eastern front is the formidable Mamata Banerjee's All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) that's fighting against the ruling party, while there's Conrad Sangma's National People's Party in Meghalaya and Atul Bora's Asom Gana Parishad in Assam that have joined forces with BJP for the Lok Sabha polls.

In Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena is in coalition with BJP, while Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will fight the ruling party. Another formidable contender in the upcoming elections is N Chandrababu Naidu and his party the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh.

In Telangana, K Chandradshekhar Rao's Telangana Rashtra Smithi (TRS) and Mehbooba Mufti's People's Democratic Party (PDP) are also forces to reckon with.  

What kind of security measurements have been made for the Phase 1 of Lok Sabha Elections 2019?

Like every election, stringent security measures have been put in place for the Lok Sabha Elections 2018. In Tripura, borders have been sealed and the BSF have been put on alert for the Phase 1. In Bihar, Indian Air Force's helicopters are scheduled into service to keep an eye on extremist-dominated areas.

A week before the elections, an operation group reviewed the security arrangements in the Northeast to maintain law and order during the elections. In Chhattisgarh, 80,000 security personnel and drones have been deployed in the Naxal-dominated area.

Additionally, airport security has also been tightened. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) instructed airports to strengthen security measures ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Also read: Complete list of state-wise Lok Sabha election 2019 dates: EC announces 7-phase poll, result on May 23

How to check name on voters' list ahead of Phase 1 voting date of Lok Sabha polls?

Log on to the National Voter Services Portal's Electoral Search page (NVSP) and check your name on the voter's list by entering your details. You can alternatively put in your Electoral Photo ID Card (EPIC) number.

In case you don't have Voter identity card, here's what to do:

Log on to the NSVP Electoral Search page and click on search by details. Put in your details, such as name, gender, age, assembly constituency etc. Based on your details, a result will pop up, which means that your name is in the voter's list. In case, there is no pop-up, it means your name is probably missing from the voter's list.

Also read: Lok Sabha election 2019: UP to vote for 8 seats on April 11; to see triangular contest for total 80 seats

Also read: Lok Sabha elections 2019: Meghalaya to vote on April 11; Congress, BJP fight for 2 seats

Also read: Lok Sabha election 2019: Mizoram to vote on April 11; MNF, Congress and BJP fight for the lone seat