The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Tuesday asked Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasar Rao to direct Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami to prove his majority in the Assembly.

Earlier in the day, 19 MLAs of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, who support VK Sasikala’s nephew and sacked party Deputy General Secretary TTV Dinakaran, had told Rao that they did not support Palaniswami after his camp merged with O Panneerselvam’s side on Monday. The AIADMK has lodged 15 of these 19 MLAs in two resorts in Puducherry, The Indian Express reported.

DMK Working President MK Stalin claimed that three other AIADMK MLAs had also said that they no longer supported the chief minister. In the letter to the governor, Stalin said there was an “unprecedented constitutional crisis” as 22 MLAs had expressed their lack of confidence in Palaniswami.

Referring to the trust vote conducted in February, which Palaniswami had won, Stalin said delaying the floor test will “give room for the evil practice of horse trading”.

Moreover, the lone MLA from the Indian Union Muslim League in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, KAM Muhammed Abubacker, also wrote to the governor, demanding that the chief minister prove his majority.

Following the AIADMK merger, Panneerselvam had said that the decision to expel VK Sasikala from the party will be made after the AIADMK general body meeting. After the merger was announced, 18 MLAs meditated at the memorial of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa at the Marina Beach in Chennai.