While the party elections draw nearer, MIC vice-president G Palanivel still refuses to state his intention to challenge S Subramaniam for the deputy president post.

"I will declare when the time is right," he told reporters after a function yesterday.

According to Bernama , Palanivel said his priority now was "to defend my community and my party".

The deputy minister of women, family and community development has been named by party president S Samy Vellu as his "preferred" deputy president.

The party will hold election for national office bearers, except for the president's post, in June. Samy Vellu has already been returned to the presidency unopposed.

Meanwhile, Palanivel acknowledged that he was pleased with the support he was getting for his expected run for the deputy presidency.

MIC Youth: 100% support

In a related development, MIC Youth said it will support the vice-president should he decide to contest for the number two post.

According to the New Straits Times , the announcement was made by Youth chief S Vigneswaran at the 12th Selangor MIC Youth Convention.

"MIC Youth gives you its 100 percent support for the deputy president's post," he told Palanivel, who opened the convention.

Previously, Subramaniam said he will not back down from his post and will leave it up to the delegates to decide.

It is an open secret that ties have been strained between Samy Vellu and his deputy for a long time although the two have repeatedly denied this in public.

Subramaniam had even contested against the president in 1989, which observers noted had cemented the rift.

Subramaniam, whose last government posting was that of deputy trade and consumer affairs minister, was also struck off MIC's candidates list for the general elections.

Prior to that, he was the incumbent parliamentarian for Segamat, Johor.

Palanivel's name as a possible contender began to make the rounds since last year and the president had told the media back then that he would back him.

Observers had described this as a deliberate attempt by Samy Vellu to sideline his deputy of more than two-decades from mainstream politics.