NEW DELHI, May 15 –Poor numbers in the opinion polls has sent State Congress leaders into a tizzy, with Assam Congress president, Bhubaneswar Kalita said that they were ready to welcome Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF) into the UPA fold.

Kalita’s startling assertion is nothing sort of a political bombshell given the war of words between Congress and AUDF during the polls. It was his contention that Congress Party has no problem if AUDF becomes part of the UPA family. Congress has no problem if AUDF supports UPA,” he said, adding that they needed more and more partners.

We welcome AUDF in to our fold,” he said.

When asked about the campaign run by the Congress against AUDF during the election (Congress had described AUDF as communal), Kalita said the situation changes. What we had said was valid then. In politics it is part of the game. “Now we consider them as secular,” he said.

Party insider said that feelers have already been sent to AUDF and Badruddin Ajmal is likely to arrive in Delhi shortly. As it is Congress Party is already in touch with Amar Singh, who is close to AUDF chief.

With the Third Front already showing signs of breaking up, Congress Party is confident of wooing AUDF albeit after some bargaining.

Last evening exit and opinion poll results aired by the TV channels has unnerved the Congressmen, forcing them back to rework their poll arithmetic. While a survey conducted by AC Nelson gave Congress three seats, another channel projected five seats. BJP’s own exit poll results circulated to the media gave the Congress four seats..

The survey has given top marks to AGP-BJP alliance, with Star News projecting eight seats, four each to AGP and BJP.. The BJP’s exit poll conducted by GVL Narasimha Rao has also given the same results.

On the other hand, Congress Party’s opinion poll conducted through a professional agency has projected seven seats in Assam besides one to BPF.

However, different results predicted by different agencies has led to confusion among the Congressmen.

When contacted PCC president dismissed these results arguing that they were mostly based on the results of 2004 elections. They simply added the votes polled by AGP and BJP in the State and came out with the projection. In 2004 election the two parties had fought separately and the results showed that Congress Party was in advantage only in three seats.

“This results and analysis was subject of intense discussions ahead of the polls in the AICC and we had taken this in factor,” said Kalita.

The PCC president predicted that they hope to win eight to nine seats. “Even if worse comes to worse, we reckon, we may get one or two seats less,” he contended.