KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 — MIC will not be swapping its Batu parliamentary seat with MCA, the Indian party’s president Tan Sri SA Vigneswaran said today.

He was responding to MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong who reportedly asserted that the Barisan Nasional candidate for Batu would be from the Chinese component in exchange for the Padang Serai seat in Perak that would go to MIC.

"I don’t think so, because it has been announced by the chairman yesterday, so it’s final,” Vigneswaran told reporters at the MIC headquarters after chairing a special party meeting.

He was referring to Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who as BN chairman had announced the coalition’s candidates for the 15th general election in a widely covered event last night.

MIC’s A. Kohilan Pillay was announced as the BN candidate for Batu during the glittering ceremony at the World Trade Centre.

"And it’s too late to do so because we need to go back to the table and we don’t have time,” Vigneswaran said.

He added that if there were to be changes to the BN’s line-up of candidates, it should come from Ahmad Zahid.

Earlier today, news portal Free Malaysia Today reported Wee claiming that Ahmad Zahid had yesterday agreed to MCA and MIC exchanging seats for the general election.

The contest for Batu in the national capital is gearing up to be among the hottest parliamentary seats in the November 19 vote.

Pakatan Harapan has announced that the incumbent Batu MP Prabakaran Parameswaran will defend the seat.

Lawyer and activist Siti Kasim, social media influencer Nur Fathiah Syazwana Shaharuddin, and Azhar Yahya from Perikatan Nasional are among those who have tipped their hats for the seat too.