All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam General Secretary VK Sasikala has staked claim to form government in Tamil Nadu, the party said on Thursday. The announcement came as the chief minister designate met Governor C Vidyasagar Rao at Raj Bhavan in Chennai.

Rao had met Tamil Nadu’s caretaker chief minister O Panneerselvam earlier on Thursday, after which he had said he was confident that “truth will prevail”. He had asked the governor to withdraw his resignation as chief minister and said that Rao would announce his decision after meeting Sasikala.

Sasikala had stopped by former chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s memorial at Chennai’s Marina Beach before meeting the governor. She was accompanied by five senior AIADMK leaders at Raj Bhavan.

Officials had said the governor was awaiting instructions from the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre before announcing its final decision on the impasse between the two, which has left Tamil Nadu politics in turmoil.

The divide in the party was made evident after Panneerselvam on Tuesday said he had been forced to resign as chief minister. He said his camp is prepared to respond to any allegations levelled by Sasikala and her supporters. Though Sasikala enjoys the support of a majority of AIADMK MLAs, Panneerselvam has claimed that several legislators are on his side and that he can prove his strength in the state Assembly.