On January 9, 2026, the Supreme Court refused to allow a Telangana lawyer to contest the upcoming State Bar Council elections. The lawyer, Rapolu Bhaskar, faces pending criminal complaints which led to his disqualification. The Bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and M. Vipul Pancholi, said, “He is not the person who should be allowed to contest the elections.” Bhaskar had challenged the disqualification rules, arguing he was neither convicted nor punished. However, the Chief Justice responded, “The standard of ethical values is higher for lawyers.” He added that lawyers themselves seek court intervention if tainted candidates run in elections. The CJI also highlighted recent negative public views on bar leaders and said professional standards must be maintained. Bhaskar's lawyer noted his 22,000 cases and urged that two complaints by third parties should not stop him from running. Senior advocate and Bar Council of India Chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra pointed out that State Bar Council members handle disciplinary cases, performing a quasi-judicial role. When the court suggested it might pass orders if arguments continued, Bhaskar withdrew the case. The Telangana State Bar Council elections must be completed by January 31, following Supreme Court orders.