With one day to go, MIC is making a last-ditch attempt tonight to ensure that its proposed candidate will be named tomorrow by the ruling BN coalition to contest the Hulu Selangor by-election.

The Indian-based party will be holding an emergency central working committee meeting on the crisis at 10pm at the MIC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

Earlier today, Selangor MIC divisions and local MIC Hulu Selangor branches had given an ultimatum that deputy president G Palanivel (right in pix below ) - the party's choice - be picked as the BN candidate.

BN deputy chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin is scheduled to announce the coalition's candidate at 4pm tomorrow.

azlan There were also rumours that Umno-favoured MIC candidate V Mugilan is meeting Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin this evening, arranged by BN secretary-general, Tengku Adnan.

Tengku Adnan, however, denied having arranged such a meeting.

"No such thing," he told Malaysiakini when met in the parliament lobby this afternoon.

He also denied that there was a meeting between MIC president S Samy Vellu and Muhyiddin.

Tengku Adnan, nevertheless, pointed out that it is "normal" for Samy to meet Muhyiddin.

Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein today stressed that they want a winning candidate while BN Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has called for a youthful candidate to be fielded.

Fresh face vs party veteran

Mugilan, the MIC deputy Youth chief, is 35 years old, while Palanivel is 61. 

Should BN pick Mugilan - who is seen by Umno to be a better candidate - the coalition could face a debilitating boycott.

Married when one child, Mugilan, born in Pantai Remis, Perak, has a degree in International and Strategic Studies from Universiti Malaya.

A former civil servant turned businessman, Mugilan is also Hulu Selangor Youth division chief, while Palanivel - a four-term representative for the constitutency - is Hulu Selangor division chief.

Prime Minister Najib Razak is currently overseas in the US and will only be back next week after a three-day visit to Japan.