CHENNAI — Emphasizing their unwavering commitment to democratic principles and "shared responsibility," officials from a party holding exactly five of the state's 234 assembly seats confirmed Tuesday that they will continue locking their elected representatives in a Hyderabad hotel until they are given cabinet ministries.

The party, which recently snapped ties with its previous alliance partner to support a new coalition holding 108 seats, stated that the secluded resort environment is crucial for fostering "mutual respect." Spokespersons clarified that keeping their MLAs in an undisclosed location under heavy guard is simply the standard procedure for negotiating an appropriate share of state power, an outcome they have been unsuccessfully chasing since being denied cabinet berths in 2006.

"Eminent leaders like P. Viswanathan and S. Rajeshkumar deserve a chance to serve the public," said a party official, advocating for the immediate allocation of ministerial portfolios to accommodate the five-seat voting bloc. "The people's mandate is clear: they want us to have leverage."

"We are merely asking for an equitable partnership," the official added, speaking over the sound of room service being delivered to the sequestered block of executive suites. "And our MLAs will remain entirely unreachable by the outside world until we are entrusted with the portfolios we so richly deserve."