The Congress’s prospects in Assam are looking up following the AIUDF’s decision to contest only three of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

Congress leaders cannot hide their glee at the turn of events since the last date of filing nominations for the second phase ended on Tuesday. Assam goes to polls in three phases — April 11, 18 and 23.

A PCC general secretary of the said, “We are fighting the polls alone and are quite prepared but there is no denying the fact that the AIUDF’s decision should help us in at least six seats where they had cost us dearly in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. They have realised their limitations.”

The AIUDF had earlier decided to contest seven seats but scaled it down to the three (Dhubri, Barpeta and Karimganj) it had won in 2014 when it had contested 10 seats.

The Congress, then the ruling party, had also won three seats (Kaliabor, Diphu and Silchar) in 2014 with reduced margins compared to 2009. It was one of its worst performances despite being in power since 2001, signalling its gradual decline in the state.

AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal A file picture

The BJP had won seven seats, its best performance in Assam till date.

Congress insiders admitted that “Modi wave” and the AIUDF were the two reasons for the 2014 electoral setback.

“We are now confident of retaining Kaliabor and Silchar, which we won in 2014, besides doing well in Mangaldoi, Tezpur, Nowgong and Gauhati, all of which have sizeable minority voters,” one of them said.

In 2014, the AIUDF had polled 85,530 votes in Silchar, 1,37,254 in Gauhati, 74,710 in Mangaldoi, 3,14,012 in Nowgong, 2,31,295 in Kaliabor and 7,331 in Jorhat.

The Congress had polled 29.5 per cent of the votes, the AIUDF 14.8 per cent, the BJP 36.50 per cent and the AGP 3.80 per cent.

“In a close contest, even a small swing will matter,” a Congress insider said.

AIUDF general secretaries Hafiz Ahmed Basir Qasimi and Aminul Islam told The Telegraph that their decision had nothing to do with the Congress.

“We decided to confine ourselves to the three seats we are sure to win because of our limited organisational strength and to keep communal forces at bay. The anti-Assam measures taken by the BJP-led government is also responsible for our decision,” Islam said.

An electoral tie-up with the Congress did not materialise despite AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal’s open offer because a majority of PCC leaders are against any tie-up with the AIUDF, whose formation in 2005 had affected Congress fortunes.

Now all eyes are on the candidates the state’s principle Opposition party will field for Dhubri, Barpeta, Gauhati and Kokrajhar seats, which will go to the polls in the third phase. It is expected that the Congress may go for friendly contest in Dhubri and Barpeta, held by the AIUDF.