As the race for the MIC deputy presidency heats up, many branch and divisional leaders feared the party will break-up and have urged S Samy Vellu to complete his term as president to ensure the party remained intact.

samy vellu cooperative interview 060709 07 The initial plan was that whoever elected as the deputy president after the Sept 12 MIC elections would take over the president's post from Samy Vellu before the expiry of his term in mid-2012.

This has led to a "mad scramble" as one divisional leader put it, for the Number Two post between incumbent G Palanivel, former deputy president S Subramaniam and incumbent vice-president S Sothinathan.

In an interview with TV3 tonight, Samy Vellu confirmed that he has decided to complete his full-term as party president.

"I have decided to complete my term of office since I was elected for a three-year term," he said.

Samy Vellu was elected unopposed last March 22 after his only rival, M Muthupalaniappan could not secure enough nominations to take on the veteran leader.

Some candidates have crossed the line

Earlier news reports indicated that Samy Vellu would relinquish his post somewhere between Sept 12 and 2012 but due to the intense power tussle for the deputy president's post, Samy Vellu decided to remain at the helm till the end of his term.

There have also been reports of candidates indulging in money and caste politics to woo the delegates, causing several factions to be formed which many of the leaders felt could break-up the party.

Such a scenario was reminiscent during previous leadership of the MIC in the 1970s which led to the party almost at the verge of destruction.

Samy Vellu acknowledged that supporters of "some" of the aspiring candidates for the deputy president's post "crossed the line" by indulging in money and caste politics.

He feared that such actions could smear the image of the MIC and eventually cause its destruction.

Samy Vellu had endorsed Palanivel for the post of deputy president.

- Bernama