He was a graduate of Dibrugarh University. He also obtained a law degree from Gauhati University.[3] He became closely involved in the students union movement during the university days that catapulted him to its leadership.[3] He had been in the vanguard of the anti-foreigners agitation for six years during which period Assam was rocked by unprecedented blood-letting which left close to 900 people dead.[3]
In 1985 after the conclusion of the Assam movement with the signing of the historic Assam Accord, peace was restored in the state, and Phukan along with others founded the Asom Gana Parishad.[3] In December 1985, he became Home minister at the age of 29 after the Asom Gana Parishad won the historic Assembly elections under the Chief Ministership of Mahanta.[3] Phukan later fell out with Mahanta and in February 1991 walked out of Asom Gana Parishad to form the Natun Asom Gana Parishad.[3][6]
The two factions united three years later and Phukan was appointed executive president of the Asom Gana Parishad. He quit the Asom Gana Parishad again in 1996 following differences with Mahanta and joined another political party.[7][8][9][10][11]