Guwahati, May 24: It's a tale of two changes with remarkable similarities, but nobody, certainly not 67-year-old retired school teacher Phanidhar Deka, wants the sequel to end the way the first one did - in a "tragedy" for Assam.

Thirty years ago, as a 31-year-old, Deka, who hails from Mangaldoi in Darrang district, had witnessed the historic swearing-in of the first Prafulla Kumar Mahanta-led AGP government at Nehru Stadium here.

This afternoon, too, he was at the Khanapara playground here, defying the sweltering heat along with thousands of others, to witness another piece of Assam history being written - the swearing-in of the first BJP-led government in the state - with the same enthusiasm and expectations.

Talking about the atmosphere in 1985, Deka told The Telegraph: "People had turned out in large numbers. The stadium was overflowing with people, so were the streets outside. Most came spending from their own pockets. We were a group of 60 and had hired a bus for Rs 400 to attend the swearing-in of our government, the AGP-led government, with high hopes and expectations. The mood was upbeat just like today."

This time, too, Deka hired a vehicle - a car along with three others, to attend the swearing-in ceremony.

The feeling in 1985 was that since a government of the "people of Assam" was in power, one could hope that all its problems would be resolved, especially the foreigners issue.

"Sadly nothing happened, even on the foreigners front, in the first AGP government. Nothing happened in its second stint either. Rather, avenues of employment like jute and sugar mills closed, insurgency peaked. We bade goodbye to the AGP as their stints ended in tragedy for Assam as promises were not kept. But now that they have returned with the BJP, they should work at fulfilling all pre-poll promises, especially of protecting Assamese identity and ushering in development. If they fail this time, both the AGP and the BJP will be thrown out," Deka said.

Strong words but for people like Deka this is the message in the mandate to the BJP and its allies, which they can ignore only at their own peril. "Resolving the influx issue is special to most of us. I was jailed during the Assam movement. Hope the new government will not squabble over ministerial posts and immediately get down to the business of protecting our jati (community), mati (land) and bheti (house)," he said.

The proceedings at Khanapara today made those who were a part of the then AGP-led dispensation or were present at Nehru Stadium, more than nostalgic, especially former chief Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, who, like new chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal today, was the man of the moment in 1985.

Senior AGP leader Birendra Prasad Baishya, defended the erstwhile AGP regime. "It is not that nothing happened. We were victims of huge expectations. This time we have made implementation of the Assam Accord priority number one," he told The Telegraph. Mahanta was seated in the corner reserved for chief ministers on the dais this afternoon.

At 33, Mahanta was popular, powerful and had just become the youngest chief minister in the country.

The AGP, which will be a part of the new Sonowal-led dispensation, had unseated the Congress in 1985, riding the emotive wave triggered by the foreigners movement. It had grabbed 68 of the 126 seats but its tenure was cut short by President's rule. It returned to power in 1996 but was again voted out, its pledge of checking influx not fructifying, people like Deka politely say.

This time around the BJP has won 60 seats while its allies, the AGP and the BPF, have won 14 and 12 respectively, once again unseating the Congress, which, under Tarun Gogoi, ruled the state for three consecutive terms since 2001. In the BJP-led sweep, the Congress was reduced to just 26 seats from 78 in 2011 in the two-phase highly polarised Assembly elections held on April 4 and 11.

The AGP has got a shot at redemption. "Our boys have become men, whether in the AGP or the BJP. They have got another opportunity to fulfil the expectations of the Assamese people. It's now or never as we have a BJP government at the Centre and in the state," Deka said.

The first chapter of the second tale was written this afternoon at Khanapara with protection of Assamese identity as the main theme. It was yesterday once more for people like Deka who warned the new dispensation that there won't be a third coming.