MIC boss eyeing Padang Serai?

However, G Palanivel's plan to make a 'front door' entry could be hampered if the PM instructs BN coalition party presidents to remain on the bench during the next general election.

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC president G Palanivel is said to be keen on contesting the Padang Serai parliamentary seat in Kedah.

According to a source, this is despite speculation that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak might advise the Barisan Nasional component party presidents to keep out of the race.

The Padang Serai seat is currently held by former PKR vice-president N Gobalakrishnan, who defeated a MCA candidate in the 2008 general election.

The source claimed that Palanivel wanted to prove his mettle in the upcoming general election to silence the critics who had labelled him a “back door” minister.

He also pointed out that the MIC president had indicated that his party was willing to swap parliament seats in Selangor for those in Penang and Kedah.

The source also dismissed earlier talk that Palanivel was eyeing the Sepang parliament seat, saying that the latter would not gamble his political future in Selangor.

In the last general election, MIC candidates, including Palanivel, were trounced in Selangor but the party reclaimed its president’s seat in Hulu Selangor through newcomer P Kamalanathan in a by-election.

The source claimed that Palanivel might swap the Kota Raja or Kapar seats for Padang Serai and MCA might be agreeable to this since it had lost ground in the constituency.

“The political environment is different now, there is no such thing as any seat being a traditional stronghold of a particular party.

“As for Kota Raja, former PKR Youth chief Ezam Mohd Nor (who has since joined Umno) is interested in contesting there, so MIC may give way in return for Padang Serai,” he said, adding that Umno would then offer MCA one of its seats as a replacement.

In Padang Serai, the source added, it was certain that the incumbent MP would not defend his seat since after quitting PKR, Gobalakrishnan had become BN-friendly.

Meanwhile, a source from the Prime Minister’s Department revealed that BN component party chiefs were still not considered safe bets and this might prompt Najib to keep them on the bench during election.

“Since the perception is that these leaders are not favoured by the public, the prime minister may not pick them as candidates, asking them instead to focus on strengthening their respective parties,” he told FMT.