The state Senate is expected to reconvene Wednesday following a political coup that has many lawmakers in Albany still wondering who's in charge.

Lawmakers spent most of Tuesday in closed-door meetings and there is word there may be more senators ready to join the new coalition that has claimed the majority.

As of late Tuesday, the Senate Chamber remained locked; the keys in the hands of the Senate Democrats.

Members of the so-called bi-partisan coalition say the legislative session will reconvene Wednesday; however, it is not clear who the leader will be.

During a heated session Monday afternoon, all 30 Republicans, along with Democrats Hiram Monserrate and Pedro Espada Jr., voted to oust State Senator Malcolm Smith as majority leader.

In an interview Tuesday on an Albany radio station, Espada, who was named temporary president of the Senate, promised he and his fellow lawmakers will continue to work through the end of the session.

"We're not going to rush out to take a vacation when the state needs us to come through on real reform," he said. "We're not going anywhere. June 22nd is not a real deadline for us. It was imposed on us by the then-Majority Leader Malcolm Smith. A new coalition government wants to work through the summer, through the fall to take care of the business of the state of New York."

Espada says if the chamber door remains locked Wednesday, the senators will meet outside or in a conference room.

Speaking to NY1's Dominic Carter Monday night, Espada denied being a turncoat.

"I did not cross party lines. We together closed the divide in the Senate,” Espada said. “We came together today, no one was split apart."

In a statement, Monserrate, too, stated his allegiance to the Democratic Party; however he also said, "For too long, residents have called for reform with nothing more than lip service as a reward. . . This reform agenda takes the first steps toward real change. I ask the residents of New York to remember that change does not bear a party label."

At one point during Monday's vote, Democrats tried to leave the chamber, and even turned off the lights in an effort to stop the coup attempt.

Shortly afterward, Republicans named Espada temporary president of the Senate and Republican Dean Skelos vice president and majority leader. Skelos briefly held the majority leader post last year.

Smith took over the post just five months ago, following November's election that gave Democrats control of the Senate for the first time in 40 years.

Skelos says the new coalition will pave the way for reform in Albany.

"Quite frankly, I think you're going to see more and more of this throughout the country,” said Skelos. “As people make a determination that everything shouldn't be a partisan as it has been in the past. And the only way you're going to get good government is through open government and coalition-type government."

But Smith says he's not going anywhere. He claims the vote was illegal because he says it was taken after the Senate had gaveled out.

"It's sad that the Republicans would choose to disrupt the business of this house. We have many crucial issues that are important to us that have to get done, some of which that are expiring,” said the state senator. “Obviously for them it was all about politics."

There is word now that Democrats are preparing to launch a legal challenge against the coalition.

Meanwhile, an outraged Governor David Paterson again denounced the surprise move at a news conference Tuesday.

"This was not the time to resolve a political dispute," the governor said. "This was not the time to have an election for leader. And this is not coming from someone who is trying to be pure about leadership. Remember, I ran for leader and I became, I think, the first person in I believe 87 years to win a leadership position without the governor behind him. That was in 2002. But I didn't do it in the middle of a session. I did it at the biannual leaders conference."

Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he is floored by the power struggle and that the city's budget process is now in uncharted waters as a result.

"I expect to have an on-time budget,” he said, “but we have to in the budget have reasonable assurances that revenues will be there and if this were to get held up, and I don't know if that is the case it's a hypothetical, we would not be facing anything we had seen before and we'd have to consult the lawyers, but the city is going to go on."

Albany still needs to deal with several major issues affecting the five boroughs. The city needs Albany's permission to raise its portion of the sales tax by a half a percentage point.

"Right now, making change, bringing new committee chairs upheaval in Albany, particularly in the Senate, yeah things are going down the drain right now," said City Comptroller William Thompson, a Democratic candidate for mayor. "It was a foolish, foolhearted move on everybody's part to make change at the last second."

State lawmakers also have until the end of the month to renew, repeal, or change the law that gave the mayor control of city schools.

Republicans in the state Legislature have generally been supportive of the mayor's control over city schools.