The Indian Progressive Front (IPF) voted in near unanimity to spurn the offer to join the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) at its ninth general assembly today.

A total of 2,950 delegates were against the proposal, while one voted for joining MIC and another was in favour of joining the People's Progressive Party (PPP), with party president M G Pandithan abstaining from the referendum.

Last month, MIC leader S Samy Vellu offered IPF to join his party.

In response, Pandithan, a former key leader in MIC, proposed for a vote to be held at the party's general assembly whether to accept the offer, or to join PPP, another component party of the Barisan Nasional coalition.

Pandithan's IPF has been vying to be a member of BN, but this was opposed by Samy, who said that there should be only one party representing the Indian community within the ruling coalition.