The crisis in the BJP government in Karnataka appears to have been defused on Monday with nine ministers loyal to B. S. Yeddyurappa deciding to withdraw their resignation after the central leadership assured them that they would decide on their demand for leadership change in the next two to three days.

The rebel group, which triggered a fresh crisis last week with nine of their ministers quitting to pile up pressure to remove Chief Minister D. V. Sadananda Gowda, has been invited for talks in New Delhi by the party’s central leadership.

Announcing this after a meeting at Mr. Yeddyurappa’s residence, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Jagadish Shettar said the party high command has assured that a decision on the leadership issue would be taken in the next two to three days.

“The party’s central leaders told the Ministers to withdraw their resignations and come to Delhi for talks so that it creates a conducive atmosphere for taking a good decision”, said Mr. Shettar, who is Mr. Yeddyurappa faction’s nominee for Chief Ministership.

Mr. Shettar, who belongs to the majority Lingayat community as Mr. Yeddyurappa, was one of the nine ministers who had quit.

Following the party leadership’s assurance, it was decided to withdraw the resignations, he added.