Rajagopalu to contest MIC veep post

KUALA LUMPUR, 11 May 2009: Negeri Sembilan MIC chief Datuk T Rajagopalu today confirmed that he would contest the party vice-presidency at the party elections in September.

“I have served in the party’s central working committee (CWC) over the last 10 years, been the state MIC chairperson and also a state executive councillor. I think the time is right for me to contest the post.

“Now with the party heading for a leadership change, I feel I should contest one of the three vice-president seats,” the 58-year-old lawyer told Bernama when contacted.

Rajagopalu, however, said he had yet to inform MIC president Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu of his intention to contest the post.

The MIC national elections in September will pick a deputy president, three vice-presidents and 23 CWC members. Samy Vellu won the presidential election unopposed in March this year.

The deputy president post is expected to witness a four-cornered tussle, with incumbent Datuk G Palanivel being challenged by former deputy president Datuk S Subramaniam, vice-president Datuk S Sothinathan and secretary-general and Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S Subramaniam.

S Vell Paari, son of the president, is the only one so far who had received divisional nominations for him to contest the veep post.

However, under the MIC constitution, there is no need for any leader to be nominated by any division as one nomination signed by two delegates — a proposer and seconder — to the MIC assembly is enough to meet the eligibility requirement.

Apart from Sothinathan, Datuk S Veerasingham is the other incumbent veep.

Tan Sri KS Nijhar, one of the three veeps, resigned more than a year ago. – Bernama