After 11 MPs of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam have extended their support to Tamil Nadu acting chief minister O Panneerselvam over the weekend, the VK Sasikala camp appear worried about the diminishing support. “We consider each MP equal to a minimum of six MLAs,” a senior party leader told The Indian Express.

However, VK Sasikala continued to put up a strong face. “Those who are sitting here are the government. We are sitting here to form our government... Our 129 MLAs are like a sea that nobody can stop,” she said. After interacting with reporters, Sasikala held a meeting with her party MLAs at the Mahabalipuram resort on Sunday to seek 72 hours’ time to form the next government in Tamil Nadu.

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Apart from five Lok Sabha MPs, the Sasikala camp also lost the support of Rajya Sabha MP R Lakshmanan on Sunday. After declaring support for Panneerselvam, R Lakshmanan was expelled from the post of the party’s Vizhipuram North district secretary. CV Shanmugham was given the position.

On Saturday, Panneerselvam got the support of Tamil Nadu’s Education Minister Mafoi Pandiarajan as well as founding member of the AIADMK and former finance minister C Ponnaiyan. “In the interest of the unity of AIADMK, I have decided to join OPS. Every MLA wishes that AIADMK stays together, so I invite all of them to join us,” Pandiarajan had said.

The impasse between Sasikala and Panneerselvam has left Tamil Nadu politics in turmoil. The rift became evident after Panneerselvam, on February 7, had said he had been forced to resign as chief minister. He said his camp was prepared to respond to any allegations levelled by Sasikala and her supporters. Though Sasikala had claimed that she enjoyed the support of a majority of AIADMK legislators, Panneerselvam had said that several legislators were on his side and that he could prove his strength in the state Assembly.