New Delhi, Mar 23 : President Pratibha Patil will issue the notification for the first phase of the five phased Lok Sabha elections today.

As many as 124 out of the total 543 constituencies will go to polls in the first phase, which is scheduled to be held on April 16 covering 15 states and two Union Territories.

The election process will be completed in one go in the first phase in Kerala (20 seats), Chhattisgarh (11) and Arunachal Pradesh (2).

Mizoram, Nagaland and the two Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakhadweep with one seat each are also covered in this phase.

Constituencies in other states to be covered in this phase include Andhra Pradesh - 22, Uttar Pradesh -16, followed by 13 seats each in Bihar and Maharashtra. Ten seats in Orissa and six in Jharkhand will also go to polls in the first phase.

Candidates may file their nomination papers till March 30.

The national parties at present are the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Congress, the Communist Party of India (CPI), the CPM, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal. (ANI)