Tezpur, March 24: The mortal remains of senior AGP leader and former Lok Sabha MP of 9 Tezpur parliamentary constituency Joseph Toppo were laid to rest at his native place Dhekiajuli in Sonitpur district today.

Toppo, 64, who died at a private hospital in Guwahati after a cardiac failure on Tuesday, was buried this morning at the Central Graveyard near Dhekiajuli Don Bosco.

Hundreds of followers, several AGP leaders of Dhekiajuli constituency, including former MLA from Biswanath constituency, Probin Hazarika, attended Toppo's funeral ceremony to pay tribute to the departed leader.

A distinguished tea community leader, Toppo had served as state labour and employment minister in the last Prafulla Mahanta-led AGP government from June 12, 1996, to May 17, 2001.

Toppo had won the Dhekiajuli Assembly seat twice in 1996 and 2001 on an AGP ticket and was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2009, when he defeated Congress candidate Moni Kumar Subba.

Toppo began his political career as a student leader at Tezpur Don Bosco High School. AGP leader Brindaban Goswami said he could not attend the funeral because of his illness.

"A delegation from the AGP's Tezpur district unit today attended his funeral and a programme will be held at the Tezpur AGP office soon to pay tribute to the leader," Goswami told The Telegraph.

Surendra Khanal, a senior AGP leader and adviser of Barsala constituency, said: "We lost a dynamic leader who stayed loyal to his party in times of crisis. Not just the AGP, Toppo led a community (tea) along with the greater Assamese society. We salute him for his leadership."

Former chief minister and AGP founder president Prafulla Kumar Mahanta said, "Toppo's demise is a great loss for the party. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family."