First phase of general elections 2009 (Factfile)

New Delhi, April 15 (IANS) The staggered 15th Lok Sabha elections begin Thursday. Here are some facts about the first of the five phases of the polls in which 17 states and union territories will elect representatives to the parliament:

Total number of parliamentary constituencies: 124

States/union territories going to polls: Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Maghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.

Total electorate: 143.1 million

Total number of candidates: 1,715

Total number of women candidates: 122

Parliamentary seats with maximum candidates: Andhra Pradesh (Mahboobnagar - 32 candidates), Chattisgarh (Raipur - 32).

Parliamentary seats with largest number of woman candidates: Andhra Pradesh (Mehboobnagar - five candidates), Chattisgarh (Raipur - five candidates)

Party-wise list of candidates:

Bharatiya Janata Party - 102

Bhujan Samaj Party - 111

Communist Party of India-Marxist - 23

Congress - 111

Nationalist Congress Party - 14

Communist Party of India - 15

Rashtriya Janata Dal - 18

Other state parties - 136

Independents and others - 1,185

Polling stations: 185,552

Polling staff: 900,000

Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs): 300,166

Vulnerable villages/hamlets: 23,000