Sambalpur: Elections to the 12-member Attabira Notified Area Council (NAC) was held on Tuesday in which 73.17 per cent voters of the total 13,205 voters exercised their franchise.

Voting was held at 13 polling booths. Each booth had one presiding officer, three polling officers and armed security guards. The polling went peacefully and no untoward incidents were reported from any parts of the NAC area, official sources said. A total of 38 candidates are in the fray. All the three major political parties - BJD, BJP and Congress are contesting in all the 12 seats.

Security arrangement was made for Tuesday's voting and special arrangements were made in the five booths that had been declared "sensitive".

The counting of votes will be held on March 5. The total votes will be counted in six rounds in two tables, the sources said.

This was the second election in Attabira after formation of the NAC. In the last election held in 2013, both Congress and the BJD had secured six seats each. As the post of chairperson was reserved for an SC woman and there was no winning women candidate of this category from the BJD, Sunita Bag of the Congress was unanimously elected as chairperson. For the post of vice-chairperson, both the candidates of Congress and BJD secured six votes and the decision was made by toss in which Suravilata Bag of the BJD won.