Seven phases, 543 seats and with a palette of political signifiers in a mix to elect representatives to the 18th Lok Sabha, the pulse of the nation beats strong in the prelude to the biggest ever General Elections in the country. Among the 543, 102 constituencies spread across 21states will be going to polls in the first phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, kicking off the dance of democracy, on April 19. Beyond the surface contest between the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led India bloc, a spate of regional parties and independent candidates also look to make their mark in the electoral landscape. Outlook looks at major and prominent names across the country who are in the fray for the first phase of polling.