 It was all due to the Saikia's ability to retrieve the people's confidence and trust in Congress.He was elected from his home constituency for the fifth consecutive term.When the ULFA kidnapped fourteen top ranking officials serving directly under the Government of Assam and they were taken as hostages by the militant organization (ULFA) which promised to released them in exchanged of the advanced release of a certain number of their comrades-at-arms who had been arrested under Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act rules during the earlier Army operation known as ‘Operation Bajrang.’

In such a situation, Chief Minister Saikia made an offer of general amnesty and by way of touching wood, he went to the extent of releasing a good number of ULFA detenus against whom there were no specific charges.