All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam General Secretary VK Sasikala on Sunday said Tamil Nadu’s caretaker chief minister O Panneerselvam had a “big power” behind him that had helped him revolt. She made the statement after meeting party MLAs at the Golden Bay resort in Kuvathur near Chennai, but did not elaborate on what she was implying.

Sasikala reiterated that the legislators were not being made to stay at the lodgings against their will, and that they were staying there as they were loyal to the party. It was earlier alleged that the MLAs were carted off to the resort to ensure that they would not engage with Pannerselvam.

Before her meeting with the MLAs, Sasikala had said it was difficult for a woman to participate in politics, ANI reported. She added that she had already experienced how women were treated in politics when she had worked with former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa. “In the last 33 years, I have faced these challenges with her. This is not new to me,” she said, referring to her fight for the chief minister’s post with Panneerselvam.

Sasikala also said that her party “believes in democracy”, and that all its MLAs supported her. Her claim came even as five AIADMK MPs switched camps by extending their support to acting chief minister Panneerselvam. “Such situations have arisen even with Puratchithalaivar MG Ramachandran, when there were dissenters in the party,” Sasikala said, according to The Times of India. “Such attempts to split the party will have no effect on our unity.”

The AIADMK chief also clarified that a letter claiming she would commit suicide if her demands were not met with was fake. “The letter threatening suicide is a lie. I am not scared of threats,” she said. In a series of tweets, the AIADMK also called the letter fake. “The same group that went against Amma [Jayalalithaa] is now attacking us,” the party quoted Sasikala as saying. “The AIADMK government will continue in Tamil Nadu.”

Later, in a video message, Sasikala said party workers supporting her faction were the “true followers of the AIADMK”. “That is why, for certain, we will come through this successfully,” she said.

Meanwhile, party MLA OS Manian said Sasikala had the support of 127 MLAs. “We hope the governor [C Vidyasagar Rao] will invite us [to form the state government], he said.

Separately, Jayalalithaa’s former nurse R Piramila Visagan said reports claiming that Sasikala was involved in the former chief minister’s death were false. “She was with her for 34 years,” Visagan said. “How is it possible?” She also said that many leaders from the AIADMK were “constantly changing sides and statements”, which was damaging the party’s credibility. “Sasikala still holds the support of a majority of the MLAs,” she added.

On Friday, the governor had asked the police to look into allegations that the MLAs backing Sasikala were being held against their will at a resort in Mahabalipuram. The impasse between Sasikala and Panneerselvam has left Tamil Nadu politics in turmoil. The rift became evident after Panneerselvam on February 7 saidhe 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.

Although 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.