Guwahati, Sept. 6 -- The Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Manch (BJSM) has objected to the participation of non-Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates in constituencies reserved for STs in the forthcoming Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections scheduled forSeptember 22.

The organisation has termed the process unconstitutional and demanded fresh elections in those constituencies.

In a statement issued on Saturday, BJSM working president Daorao Dekhreb Narzary said the acceptance of nominations from non-tribal candidates in ST-reserved constituencies was illegal and went against the spirit of tribal reservation.

He expressed "deep sorrow and anguish" over the decisions taken by the Returning Officers of several districts.

According to BJSM,the...