The first phase of polls is being held on all seats of Tamil Nadu (39), Rajasthan (12), Uttar Pradesh (8), Madhya Pradesh (6), Uttarakhand (5), Arunachal Pradesh (2), Meghalaya (2), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1), Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1), Puducherry (1), Sikkim (1) and Lakshadweep (1).

 Four states -- Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh -- will also pick new assemblies alongside this Lok Sabha election. Of these, Arunachal Pradesh (60 seats) and Sikkim (32) are first down today.

 At 9 am, two hours after polling began, Tamil Nadu had recorded 8.2 per cent turnout, Rajasthan 10.7 per cent, Uttar Pradesh 12.2 per cent and Madhya Pradesh 14.1 per cent.

The Prime Minister has set the NDA a target of 400. In the last election, the NDA won 353 seats -- up by 5 per cent from 2014. The BJP won 303 seats.

The Opposition bloc INDIA, which mostly made headlines over its disarray in the run-up to the polls -- especially with the defection of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar -- has been standing together following the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the liquor policy case.

The BJP is hoping to win 22 of the 25 seats in the northeast - an area it now dominates -- sweep the huge swathe of the Hindi heartland, Jammu in the north and Gujarat in the west.

Eight Union ministers, two former chief ministers, one former governor and a number of key leaders are in the fray today, making for scintillating contests in more than 20 seats.