Gujarat Bar Council former chairman’s name removed from candidates’ list over UK citizenship
High Powered Election Committee orders cancellation of candidature of C K Patel, who holds an Overseas Citizen of India card after accepting UK citizenship in 2009.
Former chairman of the Bar Council of Gujarat (BCG) advocate C K Patel, who had filed his candidature for a third term as member of the state advocates body in the March 6 elections, suffered a setback as the High Powered Election Committee on Wednesday ordered the cancellation of his candidature, considering the legal objections raised by a contestant citing his “foreign citizenship”, which had allegedly been acquired in 2009.
The order of the High Powered Election Committee directed the returning officers of the Bar Council of Gujarat to cancel the candidature of Patel, a day after the final list of candidates was published on Tuesday.
The scrutiny of the nomination documents was conducted on February 9 at the BCG office, where a contestant raised the issue of Patel’s eligibility and objected to his candidature, citing his foreign citizenship.
As per the order of the three-member High Powered Election Committee comprising a retired Supreme Court Judge as well as two Senior Advocates, Patel was found to have voluntarily accepted the citizenship of the United Kingdom and he holds an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card.
After the order, the Bar Council of Gujarat on Wednesday issued a corrigendum, removing Patel’s name from the list of candidates published on Tuesday.
The corrigendum, signed by Chief Returning Officer H M Parikh and Joint Returning Officer R C Jani, states, “In view of the judgment and order dated February 11, 2026, passed by the Honorable High Powered Election Committee in the matter of objection application dated February 8. 2026, filed by advocate Manoharsinh Raysinhbhai Parmar, against the candidature of Chelabhai Karsanbhai Patel, the list of candidates is required to be modified and hence, at Sr. No. 63, the name of (C K Patel)… is hereby deleted from the list of contesting candidates for the said election…”
Speaking to The Indian Express, Joint Returning Officer advocate R C Jani, said, “It has been found that advocate C K Patel has accepted the citizenship of the UK in 2009 and even holds an OCI card. As per Section 24 of the Advocates Act, 1961, since he is now not a citizen of India, he is ineligible to be a candidate in the elections of the Bar Council. As per the order of the High Powered Committee, the decision to delete his name was made on Wednesday.”
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Jani added that Patel is a two-term member of the BCG and has been elected twice as its chairman for a period of one year at both times. However, since Patel had not informed the BCG about his OCI card earlier, Jani said that “it was known only during the current elections” that he was a UK citizen.
Jani said, “A representation was made to the Bar Council of Gujarat regarding Patel’s citizenship. Since the jurisdiction in the matter rests with the High Powered Election Committee, we referred the matter to it and the order has been received.”
While Patel remained unavailable for comment, a senior lawyer said further action against Patel, as per the provisions of the Advocates Act, 1961, will be in the purview of the BCG, which will soon have a new committee after the March 6 polls.
Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues.
Expertise:
Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including:
Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground.
Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure.
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Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions.
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