Bhubaneswar, April 9 -- Voters in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry came out in large numbers on Thursday for their respective assembly elections. By 5 pm, the Election Commission reported impressive participation rates: 86.92% in Puducherry, 84.42% in Assam, and 75.01% in Kerala.

Among the early voters were key political figures, including Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangaswamy, who continued his tradition of riding a motorcycle to the polling station.

The elections span 126 seats in Assam, 140 in Kerala, and 30 in Puducherry, with vote counting scheduled for May 4.

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