KUALA KUBU BARU: Going by the number of nominations forms purchased, the Hulu Selangor by-election is likely to have more than two candidates contesting on April 25.
Thus far FMT has seen four prospective candidates wishing to contest as independents and possibly break the Malay and Indian vote bank.
There are 64,500 registered voters in the Hulu Selangor constituency, with the Malay community just over half the number, and Indian community a significant one-fifth.
The four likely candidates are former MIC Hulu Selangor deputy division chairman V Chandran, MIC Bukit Bintang chairman T Ananthan (photo), former People Progressive Party member J Anuratha and former Penang PKR women chief Aminah Abdullah .
Chandran, who handed in his nomination forms yesterday together with the RM5,000 deposit, said he did not feel threatened by Umno or MIC's presence and was confident of winning.
“I have lived in Hulu Selangor for 54 years. I know every inch of Hulu Selangor. I also know what has been happening and what MIC has not done,” he said.
Chandran, who was sacked from the party last year, said MIC deputy president G Palanivel’s four terms as Hulu Selangor parliamentarian had brought little change.
“He (Palanivel) was here from 1990 to 2008. He did not do enough. There are more poor people here now. He and Samy Vellu (MIC president) are liars.
“Umno is right to ask for a different candidate. If BN fields Palanivel they will lose badly,” he said alluding to the on-going backroom tussle between Umno’s choice of local boy V Mugilan (Hulu Selangor MIC youth chief) and MIC deputy president G Palanivel.
The outcome of the tussle will only be known today when BN announces its candidate.
'PKR win assured'
Ananthan on the other hand is out to prove a point.
“I know I won’t win but my main objective is to get 1,500-3,000 of the Indian votes.
“If I get away with more than 1,500 votes, it is a clear indication that to the country that the Indian community is no longer dependent on MIC to voice its needs,” said the former Bernama journalist.
Ananthan also criticised MIC Central Working Committee members for failing to stand up to Samy Vellu.
“The party has lost the respect of BN coalition partners. This is a bigger problem because MIC will soon become irrelevant to Umno,” he said.
When asked to comment on the BN’s likely candidate, he said: “Whoever BN picks will definitely be defeated by PKR’s Zaid Ibrahim."
The other two independents seeking to be elected on April 25 are Anuratha, 40, and Aminah , 57.
Aminah, who contested in the Penanti by-election in May last year and lost her deposit, is seeking to redeem herself in Hulu Selangor, while Anuratha, a graduate in business studies, is hoping to win by riding on her father’s popularity as a philanthropist.
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