Agartala/Guwahati, March 14 (IANS): The notification for the first of the nine-phased Lok Sabha polls was issued Friday with this the process to constitute the 16th lower house of parliament beginning in Assam and Tripura, an official said.

During the first phase of Lok Sabha elections April 7, polls will be held in one of the two parliamentary constituencies in Tripura and five of the 14 in Assam.

"The president and the Election Commission of India (ECI) separately issued the formal notification Friday," Tripura Chief Electoral Officer Ashutosh Jindal told IANS.

"The president issued the notification calling upon the people to elect their representative in the Lok Sabha and the ECI issued the notification informing the people about the schedule for the elections," he added.

"With this, the filling of nomination in the Lok Sabha constituencies, where polls would be held April 7, formally started," said Jindal.

All the major political parties in Tripura and Assam including the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India-Marxist and Asom Gana Parishad have declared their candidates and started campaign in full-swing.

The last date of filling of nominations (where polls would be held April 7), is March 21 and the scrutiny of nominations would take place the next day. The last date for withdrawal of candidatures is March 24.