KUALA LUMPUR: MIC has finalised its list of candidates for the nine parliamentary seats it plans to contest in the coming general election.
Party president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel is slotted to be fielded in Cameron Highlands, party officials said.
They said Palanivel had been making frequent trips to Cameron Highlands to help resolve problems faced by residents.
Another indication was the absence of the incumbent Cameron Highlands MP Datuk S.K. Devamany when Palanivel attended two functions in Cameron Highlands last month.
The journalist-turned-politician was Hulu Selangor MP for four terms until his defeat to the PKR candidate, the late Datuk Zainal Abidin Ahmad, in 2008 by just 198 votes.
Palanivel was not picked to contest in the Hulu Selangor by-election in 2010 following Zainal Abidin's death, but was appointed a senator.
Palanivel has submitted a list of 58 possible candidates, with two names for each of the nine parliament and 19 state constituencies for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to decide.
In the last general election, MIC won three parliamentary seats and seven state seats.
Three MPs, namely Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam (Segamat), Deputy Federal Territories and Urban Well-Being Minister Datuk M. Saravanan (Tapah) and P. Kamalanathan (Hulu Selangor), are expected to contest again.
The officials said Devamany was expected to contest in Sungai Siput while secretary-general Datuk S. Murugessan, who lost in the Subang parliamentary seat in 2008, was likely to be moved to the Teluk Kemang parliamentary seat.
Former MIC Youth chief S.A. Vigneswaran is likely to contest in the Kota Raja parliamentary seat while Pemandu director Ravindran Devagunam will be slotted for the Kapar seat, although Puchong division chairman A. Sakthivel has been strongly lobbying for it.
“The party is confident of winning as the Indians are returning to the Barisan (Nasional) fold and with support from Umno and MCA, MIC can deliver,” the party officials said.
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