Indian-origin student leader claims Scottish greens asked her to quit election race over visa status

Sai Shraddha Suresh Viswanathan

Sai Shraddha Suresh Viswanathan, an Indian-origin student leader and current president of the National Union of Students Scotland, has claimed she was asked to withdraw as a Scottish Green Party candidate because of her student visa status.Viswanathan had applied to contest the Holyrood election for the North East of Scotland region and was ranked third on the party’s candidate list during internal selections last year.However, she said party officials later advised her to step down after concerns were raised about whether she would be able to remain in the UK for the full parliamentary term.The controversy comes after Q Manivannan, who was also in the UK on a student visa, was allowed to contest the election and was later elected as an MSP for the Edinburgh and Lothians East region.Viswanathan told BBC Scotland she was informed during a phone call with a party official that legal advice suggested she may not be eligible to serve as an MSP if she could not guarantee her immigration status for the duration of the term.She said the experience had a serious impact on her personally despite being happy to see fellow Green candidates elected.“I was thrilled that so many fellow Greens had been elected, but having to withdraw took a significant toll on my health and well-being,” Viswanathan said.In a statement, she accused the party of inconsistency in the way candidates were treated.“Ultimately, there has been a discrepancy in how different candidates have been advised by the party,” she said.“Immigration is a sensitive subject for many migrants like myself who should be allowed to take part in the election process, as the latest election results have shown us.”Changes introduced in 2024 allowed people without permanent residency rights in the UK to stand in Scottish Parliament elections. However, MSPs can be disqualified if they lose the legal right to remain in the country during their term.The Scottish Greens said no candidate had been prevented from standing because of visa-related issues.A party spokesperson told BBC Scotland: “Candidates are responsible for ensuring they meet all legal and eligibility requirements before standing for election, including any matters relating to their own visa status.”“We cannot comment on individual candidates or internal selection processes, but we can confirm that nobody has been blocked from standing for the Scottish Greens because of their visa status.”The spokesperson added that the party remained satisfied with the guidance provided to candidates and said the Greens were proud to have elected their largest-ever group of MSPs to the Scottish Parliament.