Governor
Jayachamaraja Wadiyar was first Governor of reorganised Mysore. The official Legislature review preserves the complete succession and acting periods. Thaawarchand Gehlot, in office since July 2021, remains Governor in September 2026.
State dossier 12 · Karnataka
Karnataka since Independence.
A source-led record of integration, linguistic reorganisation, constitutional offices, elections, people, economy, heritage, ecology and public accountability.
Boundary rule: princely Mysore acceded in 1947. The enlarged Mysore State formed on 1 November 1956 from Kannada-speaking territories and was renamed Karnataka on 1 November 1973. Pre-1956 data cannot be treated as covering today’s boundary.
224Assembly constituencies
28Lok Sabha constituencies
61,095,297Census 2011 population
4UNESCO properties wholly or partly in Karnataka
Constitutional journey
Accession, democratic rule, linguistic unification and renaming are separate milestones.
1947–1950Mysore acceded and became a Part B State
1 NOV 1956States Reorganisation created enlarged Mysore
1 NOV 1973Mysore State renamed Karnataka
States Reorganisation Act, 1956 · Mysore State (Alteration of Name) Act, 1973.
Chief Ministers and constitutional administration
| Chief Minister / administration | Period | Party / status |
|---|---|---|
| K. Chengalaraya Reddy | 25 Oct 1947–30 Mar 1952 | INC; Mysore |
| Kengal Hanumanthaiah | 30 Mar 1952–19 Aug 1956 | INC |
| Kadidal Manjappa | 19 Aug–31 Oct 1956 | INC |
| S. Nijalingappa | 1 Nov 1956–16 May 1958; 21 Jun 1962–29 May 1968 | INC; two periods |
| B. D. Jatti | 16 May 1958–9 Mar 1962 | INC |
| S. R. Kanthi | 14 Mar–20 Jun 1962 | INC |
| Veerendra Patil | 29 May 1968–18 Mar 1971; 30 Nov 1989–10 Oct 1990 | INC; two periods |
| President’s Rule | 19 Mar 1971–20 Mar 1972 | Article 356 |
| D. Devaraj Urs | 20 Mar 1972–31 Dec 1977; 28 Feb 1978–7 Jan 1980 | INC; land-reform era |
| President’s Rule | 31 Dec 1977–28 Feb 1978; 7 Jan 1980–12 Jan 1980 | Article 356 |
| R. Gundu Rao | 12 Jan 1980–10 Jan 1983 | INC |
| Ramakrishna Hegde | 10 Jan 1983–13 Aug 1988 | Janata Party; successive ministries |
| S. R. Bommai | 13 Aug 1988–21 Apr 1989 | Janata Party |
| President’s Rule | 21 Apr–30 Nov 1989 | Dismissal later central to S. R. Bommai constitutional law |
| S. Bangarappa | 17 Oct 1990–19 Nov 1992 | INC |
| Veerappa Moily | 19 Nov 1992–11 Dec 1994 | INC |
| H. D. Deve Gowda | 11 Dec 1994–31 May 1996 | Janata Dal |
| J. H. Patel | 31 May 1996–7 Oct 1999 | Janata Dal / JD(U) |
| S. M. Krishna | 11 Oct 1999–28 May 2004 | INC |
| Dharam Singh | 28 May 2004–2 Feb 2006 | INC-JD(S) coalition |
| H. D. Kumaraswamy | 3 Feb 2006–8 Oct 2007; 23 May 2018–23 Jul 2019 | JD(S)-led coalitions |
| President’s Rule / B. S. Yediyurappa | 8 Oct 2007–29 May 2008 | Brief BJP ministry, 12–19 Nov 2007, between two Rule periods |
| B. S. Yediyurappa | 30 May 2008–4 Aug 2011; 17–23 May 2018; 26 Jul 2019–28 Jul 2021 | BJP; three later ministries |
| D. V. Sadananda Gowda | 5 Aug 2011–11 Jul 2012 | BJP |
| Jagadish Shettar | 12 Jul 2012–12 May 2013 | BJP |
| Siddaramaiah | 13 May 2013–15 May 2018; 20 May 2023–3 Jun 2026 | INC; two ministries |
| Basavaraj Bommai | 28 Jul 2021–20 May 2023 | BJP |
| D. K. Shivakumar | 3 Jun 2026–present | INC |
Governor and current Council of Ministers
Ministry · verified 2 September 2026
D. K. Shivakumar is Chief Minister and G. Parameshwara Deputy Chief Minister. The post-transition Legislature roster controls the cabinet and portfolios; it supersedes the Siddaramaiah ministry after the 3 June 2026 oath.
Assembly elections and parties
| Election era | Mandate | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1952–1972 | INC governments | Old and reorganised Mysore boundaries must be distinguished. |
| 1978, 1980 | INC governments | Devaraj Urs and Gundu Rao ministries. |
| 1983, 1985 | Janata-led governments | Ramakrishna Hegde and decentralisation era. |
| 1989 | INC majority | Veerendra Patil government. |
| 1994 | Janata Dal majority | Deve Gowda then J. H. Patel. |
| 1999 | INC majority | S. M. Krishna government. |
| 2004 | Hung Assembly | INC-JD(S), then JD(S)-BJP coalitions. |
| 2008 | BJP plurality | First BJP-led southern State government to begin after an election. |
| 2013 | INC 122 of 224 | Siddaramaiah government. |
| 2018 | Hung Assembly | Brief BJP ministry, INC-JD(S) coalition, then BJP government in 2019. |
| 2023 | INC 135; BJP 66; JD(S) 19; others 4 | INC majority; mid-term leadership transition in 2026. |
People, economy and public finance
| Measure | Figure / frame | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 61,095,297 | Census 2011 |
| Literacy | 75.36% | Census 2011 |
| Area | 191,791 km² | Government geography |
| Economic structure | Services, manufacturing, agriculture, technology, aerospace, biotechnology and mining | State totals conceal regional and household differences |
| Technology record | Bengaluru is a major technology and research centre | City-sector prominence is not a complete State welfare measure |
Census India · Economics and Statistics · Finance Department.
Heritage, nature and civic change
World Heritage
Hampi, Pattadakal and the Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas are cultural properties. Karnataka also contains components of the six-State Western Ghats natural serial property.
Protected landscapes
Bandipur, Nagarahole, Bannerghatta, Kudremukh and Anshi/Kali national parks have distinct notifications. Tiger-reserve, biosphere-reserve and national-park labels are not interchangeable.
Language and land movements
Kannada unification, Gokak language mobilisation, farmer movements and disputes over water or regional equity are documented through their own demands, orders and outcomes.
Accountability
Mining, land, procurement and public-works claims are tied to CAG, courts or authorised investigations; allegation, charge, judgment and appeal remain separate.
UNESCO · Forest Department · CAG Karnataka · movements collection.
Source ledger
Integration, reorganisation and renaming: Parliament and India Code · Governors, Chief Ministers and cabinets: Lok Bhavan and Legislature · elections: ECI · population: Census India · economy: State Economic Survey, Finance Department, RBI and CAG · heritage and nature: UNESCO, ASI, Forest Department, MoEFCC and NTCA · movements and accountability: statutes, courts, commissions and CAG. Checked 2 September 2026.