Amid speculation about AIADMK's merger, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E. Palaniswami met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday and discussed the situation in the state while the rival faction led by O. Panneerselvam approached the Election Commission to cancel the appointment of V.K. Sasikala as General Secretary of the party.
Palanisamy did not reveal to the media full details of his discussions with Modi but expressed confidence that his government would defeat any no-confidence motion in the Assembly.
"We won the confidence motion once and again defeated the no-confidence motion brought by the DMK against the Assembly Speaker by one more vote. If (DMK leader M.K.) Stalin brings a no-confidence motion again, we will win with more votes," he said.
He also said the description of "420" (the IPC section referring to cheating) would fit T.T.V. Dhinakaran -- who was on Thursday sacked as the Deputy General Secretary -- more.
Meanwhile, the faction headed by former Chief Minister Panneerselvam moved the Election Commission seeking a declaration that Sasikala's appointment as General Secretary and her subsequent appointment of Dinakaran as Deputy General Secretary was "null and void".
Faction leader Manoj Pandian said they filed an affidavit in the Commission on Friday.
They also appended the resolution of the rival AIADMK faction of Palaniswamy, declaring as unlawful the appointment of Dhinakaran.
Lok Sabha Speaker M. Thambidurai said it was for the Election Commission to give its verdict on the issue of Sasikala.
Dhinakaran supporter Thangathamizhchelvan, a MLA, said nobody had the right to remove Sasikala and Dhinakaran from the party.
He said the ruling faction would come to grief, hinting that MLAs owing allegiance to Sasikala could cause problems in a trial of strength in the Tamil Nadu assembly.
The AIADMK broke up into two factions following the death in December of then Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa. Subsequently, Sasikala was jailed on corruption charges.