New Delhi: In an apparent boost to the claims of the two Congress candidates, the Election Commission today (June 22, 2004) directed the Returning Officer (RO) of the Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh to consider afresh their rejected nomination papers for scrutiny and take a final decision.

Acting on the complaints of the Congress candidates Harendra Agarwal and M M Shukla that their nomination papers were "unconstitutionally and unlawfully" rejected by the RO on Saturday, the three-member Commission said in its order that the RO 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 Congress yesterday met the Commission in a delegation and complained that the RO had rejected the papers of its candidates under pressure from the State Government run by the Samajwadi Party led coalition.