BJP sets up panel to supervise its Karnataka government

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sunday not only resolved the crisis in its first government in Karnataka but also became the first major political party in the country to set up a sort of oversight panel over its own government.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sunday not only resolved the crisis in its first government in Karnataka but also became the first major political party in the country to set up a sort of oversight panel over its own government.

The party has proposed a coordination committee, likely to be headed by senior leader Sushma Swaraj, to ensure that all major decisions of the Karnataka government are 'unanimous'.

The recourse to the committee was taken to buy peace with dissidents in Karnataka who had launched a campaign to remove Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa for his alleged dictatorial functioning style and ignoring ministers not close to him.

The campaign was led by Tourism Minister G. Janardhana Reddy and his elder brother and Revenue Minister G. Karunakara Reddy, both billionaire iron ore mine owners from Bellary who are close to Sushma Swaraj.

The Karnataka committee will have representatives from the rival factions.

All these days coordination committees were set up by coalition governments.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the BJP had such a committee.

The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance had one during its previous rule at New Delhi.

The Left Front government in West Bengal also has a coordination committee.

The NDA and UPA set up these committees to resolve differences as the alliances were made of a large number of parties.