\n (Image: SNP)\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cNow is the time to pass the baton to a colleague to take us into the 2027 Council elections, continue holding this Labour<\/a> council to account, and deliver for Edinburgh.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n Ms Kumar, who was born in Fiji, moved to Scotland as a teenager.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n The SNP \u201crising star\u201d has served on City of Edinburgh Council since 2022, and has a background in public health and social care.\n<\/p>\n \n At the election count on Friday, Ms Kumar thanked supporters and pledged to work for everyone in her constituency.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n She said: \u201cThank you also to my patient and incredible family, my parents, all my sisters, for your love and support. It truly means the world to me, and most importantly, thank you to the people of Edinburgh South Western.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cI will work every single day to be worthy of that trust. To everyone who voted, whether you supported me and the SNP or chose a different path, I want you to know this, I am here for all of you.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n Her replacement has not yet been announced<\/a>, but front-runners are expected to include councillors Lesley Macinnes and Danny Aston.\n<\/p>\n \n Read more:<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \n At last week\u2019s election, Ms Kumar comfortably secured Edinburgh South Western<\/a> for the SNP, receiving 36.2% of the vote compared to Labour candidate Catriona Munro, who came second with 26%.\n<\/p>\n \n Tory Sue Webber came a distant third with 14.3% of the vote, followed by Reform\u2019s Cameron Rose on 12.1% and Lib Dem Andy Williamson on 11.3%.\n<\/p>\n \n In 2025, Holyrood<\/a> voted to ban \u2018double jobbing<\/a>\u2019 – prohibiting MSPs from serving as MPs, councillors, or in the House of Lords<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n \n However, the law allows councillors to serve as MSPs in cases \u201cwhere the next scheduled local government election is due to occur within 372 days of the election at which the councillor was returned as an MSP\u201d.\n<\/p>\n \n Thus there is no legal requirement for Ms Kumar to stand down as a councillor, and it is expected she will stay on until the next election.\n<\/p>\n