updated version One of the longest running political sagas in the country ended today with MIC deputy president S Subramaniam crashing out to challenger G Palanivel by a humiliating margin of 474 votes.

Palanivel polled 935 votes compared to Subramaniam's 495 votes an embarrassing figure considering his quarter century as deputy president - in a nail biting finish at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur today.

Today's defeat for Subramaniam, 61, is likely to signal the beginning of the end of his long and chequered political career that began in 1973 when he was made executive secretary of the MIC.

However, the veteran politician does not think so.

In an immediate reaction after the results were announced, he told reporters that he accepted the decision of the delegates.

"This is not the end of my political career. I will continue to serve the Indian community the best way I can," he said.

In the contest for the other posts, the president's candidates swept in except for two who lost in the contest for 23 posts in the central working committee.

"The result is a victory for Samy Vellu and the MIC," said Kajang Ravi, MIC Kajang division chief.

"Now we should all close ranks and become one united party behind Samy Vellu," he pleaded.

Rise to prominence

The 20-day campaign leading to today's polling had been one of the most intense in recent memory for the party.

Palanivel's victory heralds his rise to prominence in Malaysian Indian politics. The former journalist has made good on his career change from journalism to politics.

Thanking the delegates for electing him, the elated new No 2 described his victory as one for the party and president.

"This is not my victory alone. It is the party's victory and a victory for Samy Vellu," he said.

News of the victory leaked out through SMS from inside the counting centre about 5pm. About an hour later, the winning candidates entered the assembly hall to the cheers of delegates who hugged and mobbed them.

The official results were announced at 7.30pm

In the contest for three vice-president posts, Samy Vellu's line up of S Sothinathan, S Veerasingam and KS Nijhar won by large margins trouncing their rivals business tycoon VKK Teagarajan, former vice-president M Muthupalaniappan, former assemblyman E Yohevel and Klang MIC division leader Alex Thiagarajan.

Sothinathan polled 1,153, Veerasingam 1,141 and Nijhar 939 as compared to Teagarajan's 469, Muthupalaniappan's 244, Yohavel's 111 and Thiagarajan's 220.

Only two failed

In the race to fill the 23 CWC posts, only two of the 52 independent candidates were successful.

They are Kajang businesswoman B Logeswari @ Kajang Ranee and textile merchant R Moorthy @ Gayathri Krishnamurthi. The rest of the president's line that was top heavy with state MIC chairmen, assemblymen and MPs were re-elected.

The two losers in his line-up are Chandrasekaran Suppiah and K Munisamy of Pahang.

Like their chief, Subramaniam's candidates contesting for various posts also lost badly and by large margins, including three for the veep posts.

Pain was cleared written on the faces of his supporters following the announcement while the president's people celebrated openly hugging, thumping shoulders and cheering.