In a surprise move, Malaysia's largest ethnic Indian party MIC today dropped the son of former supremo Samy Vellu from the party's central working committee.
S Vell Paari, strategic director of Malaysia Indian Congress (MIC), known for his outspokenness and criticism of the party leadership was dropped by MIC President G Palanivel without giving any reason.
Palanivel , however, thanked Vell Paari for his services to the party.
An MIC official said he believed the decision was taken due to Vell Paari's outspokenness and criticism of the party leadership over the past few months.
Two others, former MIC vice-president S Sothinathan and Sunthar Subramaniam, the son of former deputy president S Subramaniam, were appointed to the CWC.
Palanivel said Sunthar would replace women's wing MIC leader Usha Nandini while Sothinathan would replace Vell Paari in the CWC.
Sothinathan is a former vice-president and former MP.
He contested against Palanivel for the deputy president's post in 2009.
The unnamed party official said Palanivel made the appointments to strengthen his position prior to the presidential election.
Branch elections are being held until August 4, while nomination day for the presidential post is on September 1 and polls on September 22.
Elections for deputy president, three vice-presidents and 23 central working committee members are due in November.
Vell Paari told Star daily that certain party leaders were very unhappy that he had told the newspaper on Monday that there was a 50-50 chance of a showdown between Palanivel and his deputy S Subramaniam for the president's post.
"This is all part and parcel of politics. They are not happy with what I said."
However, Vell Paari confirmed that his decision to contest the party vice-president post in the upcoming polls still stands.
Meanwhile, MIC members have expressed their shock after hearing that Vell Paari was dropped from the party's CWC.
A senior member MIC branch chairman Daljit Singh said he had no idea why Vell Paari was dropped but he said that it was the party president's prerogative to do so.
According to MIC's constitution, the party president can appoint, remove or change the nine appointed CWC members in the party.
