Desai was arrested by the CBI for seeking a bribe from a private medical college and barred from practising medicine.
The polls for the 86 seats of GU senate are due on Sunday. Desai got elected after H P Bhalodia withdrew his nomination.
Desai had filed his nomination as a registered medical graduate, the sole option left for him as he was suspended as professor in B J Medical College on bribery charges. Senate members pointed out that this was an attempt by Desai to get back into MCI.
Gujarat University Vice-Chancellor Parimal Trivedi said Desai had the right to contest as it was his democratic right. Although the MCI had barred him from practising as a doctor or representing them on any council or association, he still has a basic democratic right to contest the election as a medical graduate not as a medical faculty, pointed out GU senate members.
Published 27 November 2010, 17:32 IST