Karnataka forms Group of Ministers on political affairs, CM Shivakumar to chair panel

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 3 (ANI): The Karnataka government has constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) on political affairs to deliberate on key policy and political matters before they are placed before the Cabinet, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said on Thursday.
Chief Minister D K Shivakumar will chair the 10-member panel, while Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara will serve as its Vice Chairman.
The committee comprises senior ministers and legislators, including K H Muniyappa, K J George, Priyank Kharge, Krishna Byre Gowda, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, U T Khader, Laxman Savadi, Satish Jarkiholi and M B Patil.
Speaking about the decision, Parameshwara said the committee has been constituted to ensure wider consultation and collective deliberation on important matters before they reach the Cabinet.
"For the first time in Karnataka, a Group of Ministers Committee has been constituted. Before taking important decisions and before bringing them to the Cabinet, certain matters will be discussed in this committee and deliberated upon," Parameshwara said.
He said the move was also aimed at addressing the perception that the Chief Minister takes decisions independently without consulting other members of the government.
"There have been comments that when the Chief Minister takes a decision alone, people say, 'The CM is taking decisions on his own, without consulting or discussing them with anyone.' That is why this committee has been constituted," he said.
Parameshwara added that a similar system exists at the Centre and Karnataka has adopted the mechanism for the first time.
The GoM will function as a consultative forum where significant political and policy-related issues can be discussed before being formally brought before the Cabinet for consideration.
The move comes as the Congress-led Karnataka government seeks to institutionalise greater consultation among senior ministers while taking major decisions. (ANI)