Poll panel reopens UP Congress case

Raising the Congress hopes, the Election Commission on Tuesday reopened the case of rejection of nomination papers of the two Congress candidates in the Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh asking the returning officer to reconsider their rejected papers and scrutinise them on June 24.

The three-member commission which met a Congress delegation yesterday on the issue referred the matter back to the returning officer "requesting" him to meet the two complainants Harendra Agarwal and MM Shukla and other candidates while taking up scrutiny of the nomination papers of the two Congress candidates at 11 am on June 24.

"It is for the returning officer to consider all relevant matters with due and deliberate care and pass such appropriate order in his quasi-judicial capacity as he may deem fit," the panel's communication to the returning officer said.

The commission yesterday stayed the Rajya Sabha results of Uttar Pradesh after Congress candidates complained their nominations were rejected "unconstitutionally" and unlawfully" by the returning officer on Saturday under pressure from the Samajwadi Party-led state government.

Beside the two, there were 11 others in the fray for as many seats who were expected to be declared elected yesterday following rejection of the papers of the two Congress candidates.

They include Reliance group vice-chairman Anil Ambani, businessman Lalit Suri, Jaya Bachchan, BJP's MM Joshi and Arun Shourie and BSP leader Mayawati.