Sai Shraddha Suresh Viswanathan, a student leader of Indian origin and current president of the National Union of Students in Scotland, claims she was asked to withdraw as a Scottish Green Party candidate due to her student visa status.Viswanathan had applied to run in the Holyrood election in the northeastern region of Scotland and was third on the party’s candidate list in last year’s internal election.However, she said party officials later advised her to resign following concerns over whether she would be able to serve out a full parliamentary term in the UK.The controversy arose after Q Manivannan, who was also in the UK on a student visa, was allowed to stand for election and was subsequently elected as MP for Edinburgh and Lothian East.Viswanathan told BBC Scotland she was told in a phone call with a party official that legal advice suggested she might be ineligible to serve as an MP if she was unable to secure her immigration status during her term.She said while it was great to see other Green Party candidates elected, the experience had a serious personal impact on her.“I’m delighted that so many of my fellow Greens have been elected, but having to withdraw has taken a significant toll on my health and wellbeing,” Viswanathan said.In a statement, she accused the party of being inconsistent in its treatment of candidates.“Ultimately, there are differences in what the party advises on different candidates,” she said.“Immigration is a sensitive subject for many immigrants like me and as the latest election results show, they should be allowed to participate in the electoral process.”Reforms introduced in 2024 would allow people without permanent residence in the UK to stand in Scottish Parliament elections. However, MSPs may be disqualified if they lose their legal right to remain in the country during their term.The Scottish Greens say no candidates have been prevented from standing because of visa-related issues.A party spokesman told BBC Scotland: “It is the responsibility of candidates to ensure that they meet all legal and eligibility requirements before standing in an election, including any matters relating to their own visa status.”“We cannot comment on individual candidates or the internal selection process, but we can confirm that no one has been prevented from representing the Scottish Greens because of their visa status.”The spokesman added that the party remained satisfied with the guidance provided to candidates and said the Greens were proud to have elected the largest ever group of MPs to the Scottish Parliament.
