The MIC will begin a nationwide meet-the-voters session beginning April, said its president G Palanivel today.

"Our machinery is already geared for this exercise. Its first step is to meet its own party voters. We will be working on this exercise first in Selangor, Perak and then Kedah. These three states are crucial for us," he said.

He said the three state MIC liaison committees will also engage with the voters.

"It would be kind of touching base and also to get feedback on important issues. These three states are important battlegrounds for us as we want Indian votes to come back.

"Every party worker must become a soldier of the party and community. We must be battle ready. The party must go into full gear. And we are testing our machinery," he told Bernama in Kuala Lumpur.

In the 2008 general election, MIC had contested nine parliamentary seats and 19 state seats, but only won three parliamentary seats - Tapah, Cameron Highlands and Segamat - and seven state seats.