Bengaluru: The Congress government’s latest cabinet expansion appears to be a carefully crafted political exercise aimed at strengthening its social coalition ahead of the 2028 Karnataka Assembly elections. Of the 19 legislators inducted into the cabinet on Monday, 12 belong to the AHINDA social bloc. Haveri MLA Rudrappa Lamani’s induction provides representation to the Banjara/Lambani community, an important Scheduled Caste subgroup in Karnataka. Despite the increased focus on AHINDA communities, the cabinet continues to reflect the political influence of Karnataka’s two dominant communities. The government now has seven Lingayat ministers and six Vokkaliga ministers, including Chief Minister D.K.