The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Thursday said it would move a no-confidence motion against the Tamil Nadu Assembly speaker later in the day. The DMK, which forms the main Opposition in the state, has been up in arms against the in-fighting within the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which split into two factions after former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s death.

A floor test had been held in the Assembly on February 18 after there were claims that the VK Sasikala-led faction of the AIADMK, which was looking to form the government, did not have the requisite majority. Edappadi K Palanswami, replacing Sasikala after she was convicted in a disproportionate assets case, won the floor test after the DMK was evicted from the House for causing chaos and the Congress staged a walkout. The DMK had moved the high court on February 20 against the floor test.

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The DMK had said that its legislators were injured by security personnel and Stalin pointed out an unusually large deployment of police personnel at the Assembly that day. The DMK had protested after Speaker P Dhanapal rejected their demand for a secret ballot.

The political crisis in the state started when former Chief Minister Panneerselvam, who had replaced Jayalalithaa, revolted against Sasikala, who was set to become chief minister before the verdict in the disproportionate assets case.

On Wednesday, the Election Commission froze the AIADMK’s symbol, the two leaves, making it impossible for either faction to use it for the by-election to Tamil Nadu’s RK Nagar constituency, which has been vacant since Jayalalithaa’s death. “Both groups shall be known by such names as they may choose,” the commission said.

The O Panneerselvam AIADMK camp had claimed last week that since VK Sasikala’s appointment as party general secretary was “invalid and illegal”, the party symbol – the two leaves – belonged to them. Sasikala’s supporters had filed a petition before the commission on Tuesday staking claim on the symbol.