AATSU, BJSM urge DC not to allow non-ST candidates in ST seats in BTC election

OUR CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR: The All Assam Tribal Students Union (AATSU), the Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Mancha (BJSM), and other allied socio-cultural organizations of BTC on Saturday strongly urged the District Commissioner, Kokrajhar, and the Election Officer not to allow non-ST candidates in ST reserved seats in the forthcoming BTC elections to be held on September 22.

A memorandum was submitted to the District Commissioner, Kokrajhar, on Saturday to express their strong objection to any attempt by political parties, state, regional, or national, to nominate non-ST candidates in constituencies reserved exclusively for the Scheduled Tribes (ST) in the upcoming BTC election 2025.

The President of the AATSU, Hareswar Brahma, and Working President of the BJSM, DD Narzary, in the memorandum said that the sixth schedule of the Constitution of India and the Representation of the People’s Act, 1951, clearly mandate that only ST candidates were eligible to contest elections from ST-reserved constituencies. Any nomination by a non-ST individual in such constituencies is a direct violation of the constitutional provisions and undermines the political safeguards provided to the tribal communities of Assam, they said, adding, “There are judicial precedents: In PIL case No. 30/2019, the Gauhati High Court directed the Government of Assam not to issue Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates to members of the Sarania community under the sub-tribe Boro-Kochari, by using surnames such as Das, Deka, Sarania, etc.” They also said that these rulings established a binding legal position that non-ST candidates cannot contest in the ST-reserved constituencies.

The tribal leaders said that the Boro-Kachari community generally bears surnames like Narzary, Basumatary, Daimary, Hazowary, Mashahary, Islary, Swrgiary, Borgoyary, Chumpramary, Goyary, etc., all of which end with the suffix ‘-ary.’ This fact is also evident in the book ‘Tribes of Assam,’ published by the Government of Assam. They said that no Boro-Kochari individual used titles such as Das, Deka, Sarania, Chaudhuri, etc. and therefore, if any candidate using such surnames filed nomination papers from the ST constituency, their candidature was liable to be cancelled and declared void. They urged the Election Commission of India and the State Election Commission, Assam, to enforce strict scrutiny of all nomination papers filed for ST-reserved constituencies, rejection of any nomination by candidates who do not possess valid, verified ST certificates, transparency in the scrutiny process by publishing reasons for rejection of improper nominations, legal proceedings against candidates and political parties that knowingly attempt to bypass reservation provisions and action against issuing authorities who may facilitate fraudulent ST certificates.

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