Bangalore, Aug 6 (IANS): Two days after boycotting the swearing-in of Karnataka's new Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda, his rivals in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party met him Saturday to finalise ministerial posts for the two groups.

The groups led by Gowda and the defeated chief ministerial aspirant Jagadish Shettar, respectively, will have 17 ministers each, party leaders privy to the discussions said.

Karnataka can have a 34-member ministry including the chief minister.

Shettar, who was defeated by Gowda narrowly in the Aug 3 election for the party's second chief minister in the state, may be made deputy chief minister, they said.

The names from each group would be decided in a day or two, they said.

Shettar, state BJP president K.S. Eshwarappa and former home minister R. Ashoka met Gowda at his official residence here to work out the formula.

Former ministers V.S. Acharya and Shobha Karandlaje assisted Gowda.

Eshwarappa and Ashoka were among the over 50 of the 119 BJP legislators who had backed Shettar to succeed scam-hit B.S. Yeddyurappa.

"A full fledged ministry will be in place in a couple of days," Eshwarappa told reporters after the talks with Gowda.

On deputy chief minister's post, he said talks were on. Names of those to be made ministers and on the deputy chief ministership would be taken Sunday, Eshwarappa said.