KUALA KUBU BHARU: While the stage is set for a heated fight between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR), the two independent candidates who have joined the race are likely to bring an interesting twist to the Hulu Selangor by-election.

For a start, there is the little-known Johan Mohd Diah, an independent candidate who claims to be an Umno youth leader from the Shah Alam division.

Met after nominations concluded here earlier on Saturday, April 17, Johan said he was still an Umno member but expected his membership to be nullified by the party's constitutional provisions, which prohibits a member to contest in polls against its own party or the BN coalition.

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin confirmed that Johan will be sacked from Umno for contesting the Hulu Selangor by-election.

When asked, Johan said he had decided to contest the seat after it was announced that BN would endorse a MIC candidate and following "grassroots support".

"I am still an Umno member but I have been sacrificed. Today, one Jebat (warrior) has been sacrifice and after this I want many more Jebats to emerge," Johan said, referring to the legendary Malay warrior Hang Jebat.

However, Johan declined to comment on his campaign strategy and the issues he planned to raise.

"Later during campaigning we will tell you all. We have many issues and we will bring evidence during the campaign.

"We have the machinery. We'll move like Umno and we will fix (whatever needs to be) more modern," said the 31-year-old from the Sungai Tenggi Felda area in the constituency.

Johan also declined to comment when asked about Umno's support for his bid.

The other independent candidate is VS Chandran, the former Hulu Selangor MIC division deputy chairman.

According to Chandran, he was suspended from MIC after the party's polls for criticising MIC Deputy President and former Hulu Selangor member of parliament (MP) Datuk G Palanivel for the latter's purported inaction during his tenure as the Hulu Selangor's elected representative.

But Chandran was quick to add that that was not the reason he was contesting the by-election and maintained that he wanted to help the people of Hulu Selangor.

The 56-year-old businessman then lashed out at MIC President Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu's purported "inconsistencies" in handing over the party's leadership and the latter's choice of MIC candidate, P Kamalanathan.

"I'm sure Indian voters here will support me... Does Samy think people here are stupid?" Chandran told reporters.

Asked if anger towards Samy had motivated him to stand for the polls, Chandran quipped, "Marah tak marah. If outsiders come here and give empty promises, wouldn't you be angry?"

Chandran maintained that Hulu Selangor residents needed a representative who was "24 hours" in the area, adding that this was the reason why he had chosen the clock as his campaign symbol.

He also pledged to bring economic renewal to the semi-rural constituency, which is as large as Malacca, but did not eloborate on what his "visions" for the area would be.

"Blocked from entering"

Meanwhile, there was a slight commotion at the nominations centre earlier today after another a teacher, J Anuradha, failed to submit her nomination forms to stand as an independent candidate.

A visibly angry Anuradha, flanked by her husband and another suppporter N Kogilanathan, were seen shouting at police officers guarding the doors to the nomination centre, claiming that they were earlier blocked from entering.

Anuradha alleged that she was not given or told about the Election Commission (EC) entry passes when she bought her nomination forms, claiming she was blocked by police officers at both entrances.

"They asked us to wait here, wait there. The police lied to me. They told me the nominations were over at 9am but actually it is 10am," she told reporters.

"This is the game of politics. They play us out. They should allow us to come in," Kogilanathan said.

Anuradha also claimed to be a former MIC member and that her father had started the Kuala Kubu Bharu MIC division some 20 years ago.

Later, Anuradha stormed off to tell her woes to Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and pledged support for PKR's campaign.

Anwar told reporters that he was "surprised" by Anuradha's purported difficulties but welcomed her support.

Hulu Selangor voters will head to the ballot boxes on April 25, choosing between the two independents, Kamalanathan or PKR's candidate Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.