Bangalore/New Delhi: Crisis in Karnataka BJP continued on Tuesday with dissidents persisting with their demand for the removal of chief minister B S Yuddyurappa, who said that the party leadership is evolving a “new formula” to end the stalemate.

Pressing their demand, the rebel group claimed the central leadership had not decided in favour of continuing with Yeddyurappa as chief minister.

Tourism minister Janardhana Reddy, who has been camping in New Delhi, met senior party leader Sushma Swaraj as part of his oust Yeddyurappa campaign.

“In the interest of BJP and the workers in Karnataka, we need a very good leadership in the state. Whatever my stand is, I am not changing,” he told reporters in Delhi.

State revenue minister Karunakara Reddy, spearheading the campaign along with his brother Janardhana Reddy, described as “lies and creation of the media”, reports quoting BJP chief president Rajnath Singh as saying that Yeddyurappa would continue.

Talking to reporters in Bangalore, he said Singh had not told them about it (continuation of Yeddyurappa) and a decision (on leadership change) could not be taken within a few hours.

Sounding conciliatory, Yeddyurappa on Tuesday tried to reach out to the Reddy brothers by recalling their contribution during government formation in May last year when BJP fell short of a simple majority and independents were roped in to back to BJP dispensation.

“Today with all humility, I want to tell you something... It’s true that in some bad moment, some political confusion had taken place. When we were forming the government, we needed the cooperation of Reddy brothers and they gave the cooperation,” he told reporters in Bellary, the home district of the Reddy brothers.

“Thereafter because of some misunderstanding, there is some confusion. The party’s central leadership is correcting this and they have spoken to them (Reddy brothers) on Monday. The problem is being resolved with (senior party leader) H N Ananath Kumar in the lead,” he said.

At a meeting with the rebel leaders in Delhi on Monday, the central leadership decided to rally behind Yeddyurappa, though the decision failed to satisfy the dissidents who remained firm on his ouster.

“Perhaps today, we are trying to resolve the issue by coming out with a new formula,” he added but did not elaborate the issues to be discussed.