KUALA LUMPUR: MIC appears to be heading for another showdown, as tension brews between its veteran sheriff S Samy Vellu and his deputy G Palanivel.
Immediately after the Hulu Selangor by-election result was announced Sunday night, Palanivel told reporters that he is ready to take over the party reins.
The former deputy minister said he has been trained for this role, and will leave it to Samy Vellu to decide on the transition period.
Palanivel was responding to Samy Vellu's comments in an exclusive interview with FMT two days earlier.
To a question on Palanivel's future, Samy Vellu had said: “I told Palanivel, 'let this election (Hulu Selangor) be over. If you want to take over MIC the next day, I will resign and go... you take over the party, you take over everything.'”
According to party sources, Palanivel is sore with the 74-year-old president for “not going all the way” in pressuring the Barisan Nasional leadership to field him as the candidate for Hulu Selangor.
“On the surface, Palanivel claims that he was not upset by the decision, but inside, he is fuming. He is angry that his boss chose to compromise on his political future,” said the sources.
The former journalist was the four-term MP of Hulu Selangor prior to his defeat in the 2008 general election, which also witnessed Samy Vellu being swept away from his stronghold of Sungai Siput by the political tsunami.
The MIC deputy president, who once served as Samy Vellu's press secretary, was dropped in favour of a more junior party man, information chief P Kamalanathan.
During the interview with FMT, Samy Vellu had indicated that BN will lose the by-election if it fields Palanivel again.
Part of the compromise is that Palanivel will be made senator and be given a deputy minister post.
However, the sources said Palanivel wants a position with full minister status, similar to what was given to Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil after her defeat in the 2008 polls.
'Samy wants to finish him off'
Meanwhile, Samy Vellu is said to be seeing red with Palanivel's comment that he is ripe for the top role.
“Samy Vellu has told the MIC leaders close to him that Palanivel is not the best candidate to succeed him, and that he will destroy the party if he takes over,” said the sources.
In the past, Samy Vellu named Palanivel as his heir apparent, after backing him twice in the party elections to obliterate his arch nemesis and former number two, S Subramaniam.
“Now Samy Vellu is finding ways to finish Palanivel, and is even considering the possibility of holding fresh party elections in the next few months.
“He is also looking at ways to initiate disciplinary action against Palanivel on the ground of working against the interest of the party,” said the sources.
FMT learnt that Samy Vellu wants current vice-president and Human Resources Minister Dr S Saubramniam to take over the number two slot.
“Don't forget, caste politics is important in MIC, and both Samy Vellu and Dr Subra are of the same caste. He is a Samy Vellu man in every sense of the word,” said the sources.
FMT learnt that the BN leadership is also favourable to the idea of Subramaniam succeeding Samy Vellu as MIC president before the next general election.
“Dr Subra is a 'baggage-less' person. He is squeaky clean, and this will allow (Prime Minister) Najib (Tun Razak) to take MIC into the next election on a clean slate and win back Indian support.
“But Palanivel will not walk away from this fight. So be ready for fireworks,” warned the sources.
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