A crowded race for MIC deputy’s post?

Deputy president’s chair may see stiff competition as party leaders dive deeper into troubled waters in MIC.

PETALING JAYA: The race for the MIC’s deputy president’s post seems unsettled with two leaders being “pushed to fight” the incumbent Dr S Subramaniam, who is also Health Minister.

This is despite a peace deal brokered by Najib Tun Razak involving the party’s top four leaders — president G Palanivel, his deputy Dr Subramaniam, vice-presidents M Saravanan and SK Devamany — two months ago.

The deal was to ensure both president and deputy president stayed in power without contest. While Palanivel secured his position uncontested at the presidential nomination last month, the same can’t be said for Subramaniam.

The deal stipulates that Palanivel stay in power until 2016, allowing Subramaniam to takeover and lead the party into the next general election expected in 2017 or 2018.

The largest Indian-based party in the country held its presidential polls last month, which Palanivel won uncontested. Election for other top party positions — deputy president, three vice-presidents and 23 central working committee members — is slated coming November.

Subramaniam, party sources say, earned the wrath of grassroots’ leaders for agreeing to the peace deal as they feel he would have won if he had taken on Palanivel for the presidency.

Now, they have turned their backs on Subramaniam and are asking leaders to take-on the deputy president.

Topping the list is former vice-president S Sothinathan, who contested and lost the deputy president’s race during last party polls in 2009. Sothinathan, once the blue eye boy of former party supremo S Samy Vellu, is now scouting the ground for support.

“He is contemplating to go for either the deputy president’s post or the vice-presidency. He is meeting grassroots leaders to gauge support. He has also been meeting fellow leaders for their feedback,” said a party source.

During the last MIC election, Sothinathan contested for the deputy president post but lost to Palanivel, in a three-cornered contest which included the other S Subramaniam, who was the deputy president since 1981.

Palanivel garnered 629 votes; Subramaniam got 547 votes, while Sothinathan obtained 280 votes. This loss got Sothinathan into ‘cold storage’ by Samy Vellu, who retired in 2010.

Palanivel gave Sothinathan a lifeline recently by appointing him to the party’s central working committee replacing MIC strategic director S Vell Paari.

The move was seen as a tacit approval by Palanivel for Sothinathan to contest any top post he wanted.

Tainted with Maika scandal

However, there is a glitch here. Sothinathan has a baggage with allegation that he and Samy Vellu hijacked nine million Telekom shares in 1992 meant for the Indian community.

Both the leaders were investigated and cleared of any wrongdoing by the then Anti-Corruption Agency. The issue gripped the Indian community for nearly a decade and is still occasionally raised by opposition MPs.

The government originally gave 10 million shares to Maika Holdings, MIC’s investment arm, but later said it was a mistake and offered Maika one million and diverted the remaining nine million to three companies linked to Samy Vellu.

Samy Vellu explained that the three companies sold the shares and proceeds were channeled to MIC-owned Tafe College; an explanation that is still disputed. Sothinathan was director in one of the three companies.

If he contests and wins the deputy president’s race, then this issue would be highlighted by his critics and opposition MPs. It is also ironic that the issue had been broached by MIC treasurer general, Senator Jaspal Singh a few months ago.

Jaspal is linked to Palanivel and is expected to fight for one of the three vice-president’s post in the November polls.

The other candidate said to be ‘pushed’ for deputy president is Saravanan, who is now Youth and Sports deputy minister.

Party sources reveal that a group of division leaders are planning to convince the 45-year-old firebrand to fight for the party number two post.

They feel Saravanan is a better choice to take over from Palanivel after 2016 as “he has a touch with the grassroots and is people friendly.”

However, they admitted that they still have yet to meet Saravanan over this matter.

“At the moment, we are discussing with several CWC members over this plan. Soon we would arrange a meeting with Saravanan,” said a source.

Other sources also revealed that Saravanan and Sothinathan had a meeting earlier this week to decideon who should take on Subramaniam.

MIC in dire need to revamp
The group also claims that the party had become weak and was struggling to win back Indian support.

In the May general election, MIC was defeated in 19 seats — five parliament and 14 state seats — out of the 28 seats it contested under the Barisan Nasional banner.

“Now, we have five years before the next general election to revamp the party. So, the party needs to take some drastic measures to save it and remain relevant in the 14th general-election” said a division leader who declined to be named.

“To be honest, only Palanivel and Subramaniam benefited from the Najib-brokered deal, not the party. By avoiding a challenge from Subramaniam for top post, Palanivel can enjoy his perks for the next three years while Subramaniam will become new president without any major challenge in 2016,” he added.

Although the election is more than a month away, party leaders are arming their arsenal for the coming battle.