Sambalpur: After the high-profile Bijepur Assembly bypoll, Bargarh district will now see another election of the Attabira Notified Area Council (NAC), which is scheduled to be held on April 3.

This will be the second election of the Attabira NAC after its formation in 2013. The council has been formed covering Attabira town and adjoining areas with 12 wards and 13,205 voters.

The nomination for the poll began on Wednesday.

In the last polls, both the BJD and the BJP shared six seats each. But, a Congress candidate became the council chairman as no candidate from the reserved category was available for the post.

But, things have changed ever since and the Congress has lost its strength in the area. Local political observers feel that the BJP will be a major threat to the BJD here this time. The NAC poll will be a prestige issue for handloom and textiles minister Snehangini Chhuria, who is the local MLA.

Speculations are rife that former Congress MLA of Attabira Nihar Ranjan Mahanand may join the BJP. However, he said: "I will work to ensure that Congress candidates win here."

The BJP has formed a four-member committee under the leadership of Anupananda Sahu and Milan Seth to study the ground reality for selection of candidates.