Kuala Lumpur – The much anticipated contest for the post of MIC Deputy President is finally on, as Dato Seri S.K.Devamany will break his silence and announce his candidature tomorrow in Ipoh. The announcement will take place at 10.00 am Thursday (tomorrow) at the Kinta Riverfront Hotel in Ipoh.
The choice of venue as Ipoh is seen as a strategy to woo the delegates from Perak, the home ground of Devamany. He is also the Speaker of the Perak State Assembly.
Perak sends the second largest bloc of delegates (about 260) to the General Assembly and their votes will be crucial in determining the winner of the contest.
In comparison Saravanan comes from Wilayah Persekutuan which has only about 70-odd delegates but he is said to enjoy good support from neighbouring Selangor state which has more than 300 delegates.
Unexpected turn of event
It is an unexpected turn of event in MIC and even shocking to many, as only two years ago both shared the same dais campaigning together to retain their respective positions as Vice Presidents in the 2013 party elections. Saravanan managed to win as one of the Vice Presidents then but Devamany failed in his bid.
The 2013 party elections were subsequently declared null and void by the RoS, a decision which brought back both Saravanan and Devamany as Vice Presidents into the party hierarchy.
Now, both have fallen out and have decided to take on each other in the battle to clinch the coveted Deputy President’s post.
MIC sources said there were even “behind the scene” negotiations to bring peace between the two but all attempts failed as both feel they have a fair chance to win the post.
No endorsement from Dr Subra…
Party President Dato Seri Dr S.Subramaniam has declared that he will not endorse anyone for any positions and this is said to be the one of the reasons for Devamany to run for Deputy Presidency. Subra’s declaration not to endorse anyone in order for the party to return to its original democratic path is also said to be the reason for a record number of candidates announcing their bid for the post of 3 Vice Presidents.
MIC sources said the contest between Saravanan and Devamany will be a close call as there are many delicate political issues intertwined between both the candidates. The political developments in the coming days will also play a crucial role in determining how the delegates will decide on their choice of of the candidate as the next Deputy President.
Saravanan has an advantage over Devamany?
MIC observers point out that as of now Saravanan seems to have an advantage over Devamany since he is a Deputy Minister and is said to have developed a close network among division leaders and delegates. His oratory skills in Tamil and his long time involvement in Tamil language activities will be other factors which are expected to earn him votes from the delegates.
But Devamany’s oratory skills are also well known. His involvement with Sri Murugan Centre (SMS) is expected to be a key factor to help him in his campaign.
SMC is a self-help measure mooted by Prof Dr Thambirajah years ago to educate the Indian students through tuition classes. The NGO has grown into a large organization today with extensive network and many of its former students are said to be active in MIC. Devamany is seen as a protégé of Thambirajah and exerts substantial influence in the organisation.
With the announcement of Devamany to contest for the post of Deputy President, MIC election is set to move into an exciting phase, observers predict.
-R.Mutharasan
