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The recent political developments in Karnataka have largely been viewed through the prism of leadership transition and cabinet reshuffles. Yet, reducing these developments to a mere change of guard would miss the larger political story unfolding in the state. What Karnataka is witnessing today is not simply a rearrangement of ministerial portfolios or change of guard from Siddaramaiah to D.K. Shivakumar but an attempt by the Congress to recalibrate its social coalition for the future.

At the heart of this exercise lies a delicate balancing act: preserving the AHINDA coalition, while simultaneously expanding the party’s appeal among Vokkaligas and sections of Lingayats. The success or failure of this experiment could determine the future trajectory of Karnataka politics for years to come.

To understand contemporary Karnataka politics, one must revisit the transformative era of D. Devaraj Urs. Before the 1970s, political power in Karnataka was overwhelmingly concentrated among dominant communities. Urs fundamentally altered this political landscape. Through land reforms, reservation policies and the expansion of opportunities for backward classes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minorities, he challenged entrenched social hierarchies and broadened political participation.

His objective was not merely electoral – it was a social justice project aimed at democratising power. While the term AHINDA had not yet entered Karnataka’s political vocabulary, the coalition that Urs nurtured, laid the foundation for what would later become the state’s most influential social alliance. More importantly, Urs demonstrated that political success in Karnataka need not depend solely on dominant-caste support. By empowering historically marginalised communities, he created an alternative model of governance that would later inspire Siddaramaiah’s politics.

How Siddaramaiah created the AHINDA coalition

If Urs laid the foundation, Siddaramaiah gave the coalition its name, identity and political direction. AHINDA, a Kannada acronym for Alpasankhyataru (Minorities), Hindulidavaru (Backward Classes) and Dalitaru (Dalits), became the central pillar of Siddaramaiah’s political philosophy. Coming from the Kuruba community, one of Karnataka’s largest Other Backward Classes (OBC) groups, Siddaramaiah emerged as the foremost champion of backward-class politics in the state. Under his leadership, AHINDA evolved beyond electoral arithmetic into a framework of governance.

Welfare schemes, social representation, educational opportunities and political empowerment became instruments through which Congress sought to consolidate backward classes, Dalits........

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