The Gujarat High Court has stepped into a high-stakes election drama at the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA), issuing a directive to the cricket body not to reject the presidential candidature of city-based Dr Darshan Banker. The court's order came after Banker challenged a new clause mandating candidates' physical presence during nomination scrutiny on January 20, 2026—a day coinciding with his son's destination wedding in Goa.
Court Questions BCA's "Deliberate" Scrutiny Date
In an urgent hearing on Friday, Justice Mauna Bhatt of the Gujarat High Court issued notice to the BCA and provided interim relief to the petitioner. The court noted that a prima facie reading of the BCA's constitution does not mandate the candidate's physical presence during scrutiny. The court directed the BCA "not to reject" Dr Banker's nomination solely due to his absence on January 20 and permitted his representative to be present during the scrutiny process.
Senior Advocate Mihir Thakore, representing Dr Banker, argued before the court that the scrutiny date was chosen "in a deliberate move" to exclude his client from the presidential race. Thakore contended that it was "public knowledge" that the petitioner's son had his wedding fixed for January 20, 2026, in Goa. The election for the BCA's apex council, affiliated with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), is scheduled for February 15, 2026.
Clause a Departure from Past Practice
The petitioner's legal team highlighted that the contentious Clause 'g' in the election notice dated January 6, 2026, represents a significant deviation. This clause states that "scrutiny of nominations shall be held on January 20, 2026 from 11am onwards in presence of the candidates, (in which) candidates must remain present." Thakore submitted that this requirement was a first-of-its-kind move, as previous BCA elections did not have such a condition mandating personal presence for nomination scrutiny.
Advocate Thakore further pointed to the BCA's own constitution, which stipulates that the nomination process for elections to various offices should be "submitted up to six days before the election." With the election set for February 15, Thakore argued that the BCA had sufficient time to alter the scrutiny dates. "There is sufficient time to alter the dates or to alter the dates of the scrutiny of forms from January 20 by postponing it for two days," Thakore told the court, suggesting the withdrawal date of January 21 could also be adjusted accordingly.
The High-Stakes BCA Political Battle
This legal intervention sets the stage for a prestige battle in the upcoming BCA elections for the 2026-2029 term. Dr Darshan Banker is set to contest against the sitting President, industrialist Pranav Amin. The election is notable for the united front formed by once-arch-rival groups—the Royal group led by Samarjitsinh Gaekwad and the Revival Group led by Pranav Amin—following a mutual understanding forged during the 2023 polls.
The BCA's election notification had specified that nomination forms and affidavits could be submitted between January 17 and 19, 2026, from 11 am to 6 pm, with scrutiny fixed for the following day, January 20. The notification clearly stated that any forms received after the deadline would not be considered.
The Gujarat High Court, after considering the arguments, has posted the matter for January 15, 2026, for granting further interim relief. The court's oral order emphasized that the petitioner, a probable candidate, found it "impossible" to be personally present on the scrutiny date due to the pre-planned wedding. This case highlights the intersection of personal commitments, administrative procedures, and the often-complex politics of Indian cricket administration.
