Palani turned MIC into Pensioners Club

The party is crying out for a new vibrant leadership that can take it forward to be on par with the aspirations of the community. Palanivel is not the person for that.

COMMENT

By Vivega

MIC president G Palanivel must quit immediately and take responsibility for the party’s dismal polls result in the general election.

The party has lost its direction under the leadership of Palanivel, resulting in the massive beating it got in the polls. The party lost five parliamentary seats and 13 state seats it contested.

Running the party like a “Pensioners Club” will only lead MIC to further humiliation and destruction. Palanivel is regarded as the most weakest president the party ever had.

Palanivel who was not elected by the general assembly and became the party’s acting president in 2010 after S Samy Velly stepped down.

Since 2012, the strength of the MIC president was not tested as Palanivel’s term has expired as the presidential term is for three years only, which ended in March 2012.

Sources within the party say Palanivel is trying hard to get the support of Samy Vellu in the coming presidential election.

MIC needs fresh elections. MIC needs fresh top level leaders with integrity and substance. The new party president must carry out reforms and re-engineer the party so that MIC can move forward.

MIC needs a new credible and competent president, not someone who give reasons why the party did poorly in the GE.

Grassroots leaders of MIC want the long overdue MIC presidential election to be held as soon as possible but party’s secretary-general S Murugesan says he has not received any instructions from Palanivel to call even for the CWC meeting. Wonder what is Palanivel waiting for?

Saravanan the favourite

The question before us now is as to who can best replace Palanivel. The party needs a young and vibrant leader.

Party insiders say M Saravanan, who successfully defended the Tapah seat, is the popular choice.

Saravanan is the party vice president and is seen by political observers as a daring and capable young leader who understands the heart beat of the Indian community.

In order to run for presidential election, Saravanan needs a solid team. He can’t do it alone.

The fact remains that vice president SK Devamany, ex-deputy president contender S Sothinathan and Youth chief T Mohan need to team up with Saravanan and lend their support to bring about change in the leadership of the party.

The new party president must carry out reforms and re-engineer the party so that MIC can move forward.

Before MIC is warded in the ICU, the party urgently needs a think tank group to chart a new party direction.

Vivega is a political observer and an MIC member.