New Delhi: The two rival factions of the AIADMK have submitted fresh affidavits to the Election Commission (EC), making their respective claims over the party’s two leaves symbol.

The unified AIADMK made its submissions first with MLA C V Shanmugam, who was part of a delegation that went to the EC, claiming that affidavits from 95 per cent of party cadres supporting the merged faction were submitted.

According to a party leader, affidavits of 115 MLAs, 44 MPs, 52 district secretaries, 126 town secretaries and over 1,200 village secretaries from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Maharashtra and Puducherry, were submitted.

K P Munuswami, senior leader of the unified AIADMK, while speaking to reporters, said decisions taken in the party’s general council meeting on September 12 after the merger of the factions led by O Panneerselvam and E Palaniswami have also been submitted apart from the affidavits.

"All the numbers required to secure the party symbol have been reflected in the number of affidavits we have submitted. We are confident that we will get the symbol," he said.

The unified AIADMK delegation included D Jayakumar, R B Udayakumar, C V Shanmugam, Manoj Pandian and MP V Maitreyan.

Later in the day, the rival faction, headed by ousted party interim General Secretary V K Sasikala and her nephew T T V Dhinakaran, filed over 1,000 fresh affidavits from general council members, who were holding the posts before Dhinakaran was ousted.
The affidavits filed were in addition to those filed previously.