Chetan Bhagat has a simple message for voters as 2019 Lok Sabha Elections begin. Read here

The world's largest democratic election began in India on Thursday, with 543 seats in the lower house of parliament up for grabs and roughly 900 million eligible voters headed to the polls in seven phases through May 19. All votes will be counted on May 23 and an additional two members will be nominated by the president.

As India goes to polls, author Chetan Bhagat took to Twitter to wish all the votes a 'Happy Voting Day'. He wrote: 

Read: 2019 Lok Sabha Elections Begin: India Goes To Polls For Phase 1 Of General Elections - Voting To Be Held For 91 Seats

Meanwhile, twenty states with 91 seats will go to polls during the first phase of the polls.

Below are the states and the number of seats which will go to polls on Thursday:

• Andhra Pradesh - 25
• Arunachal- 2
• Assam - 5
• Bihar - 4
• Chattisgarh - 7
• Jammu Kashmir - 2
• Maharashtra - 7
• Manipur - 1
• Meghalaya - 2
• Mizoram - 1
• Nagaland - 1
• Orissa - 4
• Sikkim - 1
• Telangana - 17
• Tripura - 1
• Uttar Pradesh - 8
• West Bengal - 2
• Andaman Nicobar Islands- 1

Certain states will also undergo Assembly parallelly on April 11, 2019.

The single phase state polls will be held in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, while the first phase of four phase state polls for Odisha will be held concurrently along with the general elections.

Poll Timings: 

The voting time in most of the Parliamentary Constituencies going to polls in the first phase is between 7am-6pm. However, in certain sensitive areas and North East States the timings will vary from 7am-5pm/ 7am-4pm/ 7am-3pm.

State-wise timings breakdown:

• 7am-6pm: Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep
• 7am-5pm: In Andhra Pradesh, voting will take place between 7am-6pm except Kurupam, Parvathipuram, Sailur, Rampachodovaram constituencies, where polling will take place as 7am-5pm. In Araku seat, Araku Valley and Paderu, will see voting between 7am -4pm.
• 7am-6pm/ 7am-5pm/7am-4pm/ 7am-3pm: Uttarakhand, Odisha, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra going to polls in phase-1 of general elections-2019 have varied timings.
• Among the NE States, voting will take place between 7am-5pm in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura West. While, Outer Manipur, Nagaland and Meghalaya will go to polls between 7am-4pm.