Consensus eluded the Congress-JDS alliance in Karnataka as the partners met on Wednesday to find a way to tackle dissidence at a time the BJP’s sweep in the Lok Sabha polls in the state has put the government on more shaky ground.

Chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy of the JDS held talks with a Congress delegation that included the AICC general secretary in charge of the state, K.C. Venugopal, Congress Legislature Party leader P.C. Siddaramaiah, deputy chief minister G. Parameshwara and Karnataka unit president Dinesh Gundu Rao in Bangalore to safeguard the government, which the alliance runs with a wafer-thin margin.

But the partners failed to agree on a quick-fix remedy to calm the disgruntled lawmakers who have been threatening to quit.

The BJP, which has 105 MLAs in the 224-member House, needs just eight more legislators to stake claim to form a new government. The Congress-JDS-BSP alliance, with its 117 MLAs, has been desperately trying to keep its flock together in the face of alleged BJP attempts to topple the government through defections.

While Kumaraswamy preferred a cabinet shuffle by getting some ministers to vacate their berths to accommodate the rebels, Siddaramaiah did not agree to anything more than filling up the three vacant slots.

A Congress source said the leaders deliberated both formulae but were unable to arrive at a conclusion.

“A cabinet shuffle could trigger more dissidence as at least half a dozen ministers would lose their positions. On the other hand, the cabinet can accommodate three more ministers and there are six lawmakers demanding berths,” said a Congress leader who declined to be named.

According to the quota, the Congress can have one more minister and the JDS two more.

Emerging from the closed-door meeting, Siddaramaiah said: “No decision has been taken yet.”

The Congress-JDS put up a dismal show in the Lok Sabha polls, winning just one seat. The BJP bagged 25, while an Independent backed by the party also emerged victorious.

There was a sense of urgency at the meeting venue as the number of dissidents appeared to be growing. Six lawmakers had met chief minister Kumaraswamy on Tuesday demanding cabinet berths.

Parameshwara, however, said Wednesday’s meeting was held to discuss the “situation in the state” and the general election outcome. “We have asked all MLAs to air their grievances and requirements for their constituencies at the CLP (Congress Legislature Party) meeting to be held later in the day,” he added.

State Congress chief Rao said all MLAs would get time with AICC general secretary Venugopal on Thursday too.

But he did not commit on a cabinet shuffle. “Any decision we take must help improve the performance of the government. It’s not just about clinging on to power,” Rao said.

He said all 79 lawmakers of the Congress were expected at the CLP. “The CLP will continue late into the night as each MLA will be given time to make suggestions,” Rao said. State BJP president B.S. Yeddyurappa, who had on Tuesday called for fresh polls after dissolving the Assembly, made a U-turn within 24 hours and said his party didn’t want an election now.

“We don’t want elections now. It is certain that this government will fall today or tomorrow. We are ready to wait,” he said.

On Tuesday, Yeddyurappa had claimed that the BJP would win a landslide if Assembly elections were to be held now as it had led in 170 Assembly segments across the 28 Lok Sabha seats.

His meeting with Congress dissidents Ramesh Jarkiholi and K. Sudhakar at the home of former Union minister S.M. Krishna on Sunday had sparked speculation that the BJP could soon engineer defections to bring down the government.