Polls in Jorhat lok sabha constituency in Upper Assam were held today where Handique was making bid to enter the Parliament for the seventh consecutive term.
Handique was the Prinipal-in-charge and Secretary of the educational trust which managed the Hemlata Handique Memorial Institute (HHMI), set up in his mother's memory by his father, eminent Sanskrit scholar Krishna Kanta Handique.
Tasa studied at HHMI from nursery to Class VIII and then shifted to Dibrugarh over family issues.
Handique, asked about his student turned rival, said, "he is a product of our school and I wish him all success in life. There is no jealousy in me, people will decide the fate of candidates and even at the age of 82, I always think positive."
Tasa, on the other hand, said he was still a 'follower of his Guru'.
"I have learnt a lot from Handique sir. He taught us Shakespeare's Mid Summer Nights Dream. I can never leave the path shown by Sir," he said.