In a deft political move, Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday inducted 20 ministers in the first expansion of his Cabinet since assuming the state’s top post. Many of the inductees are new faces, reflecting a careful mix of caste and regional representation crucial to the southern state.The expansion strengthens the Shivakumar Cabinet, which took office in June. The influential Vokkaliga leader replaced Siddaramaiah in a leadership transition that had long been the subject of a power struggle within Karnataka Congress circles.With the latest expansion, the Cabinet’s strength has risen from 14 to 34.The new ministers include P M Narendraswamy (Malavalli), Shivaraj Tangadagi (Kanakagiri), Rudrappa Lamani (Haveri), K S Basavanthappa (Mayakonda), B Nagendra (Ballari Rural), T Raghumoorthy (Challakere), B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan (Chamarajpet), Rizwan Arshad (Shivajinagar), Santosh Lad (Kalaghatagi) and Madhu Bangarappa (Soraba), among others.GS Patil has been chosen as the new Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, while A S Ponnanna will serve as Deputy Speaker.The expansion marks the return of former Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister B Nagendra. A former BJP leader who joined the Congress in 2018, Nagendra had resigned from the Cabinet in 2024 over allegations linked to the Valmiki Development Corporation scam.In addition, two minority community leaders, B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan and Rizwan Arshad, have been inducted into the Cabinet.The children of three former chief ministers are now part of Shivakumar’s Cabinet. They are Yathindra Siddaramaiah (already a minister), Kumar Bangarappa (son of S Bangarappa) and Ajay Singh (son of N Dharam Singh).Incidentally, six of the 20 newly inducted ministers were also part of the previous government led by Siddaramaiah.Gayathri Shanthegowda, whose election from the Chikkamagaluru Local Authorities’ Constituency was upheld by a recent Supreme Court verdict, will be the lone woman in the Cabinet. Her election came after the court set aside BJP leader M K Pranesh’s election to the Legislative Council in December 2021.Former deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi and Shivalinge Gowda, who joined the Congress from the BJP and JD(S), respectively, ahead of the 2023 assembly polls, are also becoming ministers this time.This much-awaited cabinet expansion aims to maintain social and regional representation, including adequate representation for AHINDA communities, women and younger legislators. The leadership is also seeking to strike a balance between legislators considered close to Shivakumar and those aligned with Siddaramaiah.AHINDA politics refers to a powerful social and electoral coalition in Karnataka representing ‘Alpasankhyataru’ (minorities), ‘Hindulidavaru’ (backward classes), and ‘Dalitaru’ (dalits).The expansion was expected to take place earlier but was delayed as the Congress leadership worked to strike a balance between experienced leaders and first-time ministers while ensuring equitable representation across Karnataka’s regions and communities.Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shivakumar urged disappointed legislators to remain patient, saying it was “not possible to accommodate everyone” in the ministry. Recalling his own political journey, he said he too had once missed out on a cabinet berth before eventually becoming a minister.“Similarly, we will ensure that everyone gets an opportunity in the future,” he said.His remarks came after Congress MLA Yashwantraya Patil resigned after missing out on a cabinet berth, while Belur MLA Gopalakrishna is expected to follow suit, party sources said.More than 15 disgruntled legislators also held a closed-door meeting at senior leader P V Jayachandra’s residence in Bengaluru to discuss their next course of action. Sources said senior leaders, including H K Patil and Dinesh Gundu Rao, attended the meeting.