# List of governors of Karnataka

The governor of Karnataka, formerly governor of Mysore, is the constitutional head of the Indian state of Karnataka. The governor is appointed by the president of India, and holds office at the president's pleasure. The governor is de jure head of the government of Karnataka; all its executive actions are taken in the governor's name. However, the governor must act on the advice of the popularly elected council of ministers, headed by the chief minister of Karnataka, which thus holds de facto executive authority in the state. The Constitution of India also empowers the governor to act upon his or her own discretion, such as the ability to appoint or dismiss a ministry, recommend President's rule, or reserve bills for the president's assent. Over the years, the exercise of these discretionary powers have given rise to conflict between the elected chief minister and the central government–appointed governor.
Since 1956, eighteen people have served as the governor of Mysore (as the state was known before 1 November 1973) and Karnataka. The first was Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, who was the state's rajpramukh from 1950 to 1956. A majority of Karnataka's governors have been politicians (ten), another five have been civil servants. V. V. Giri went on become the fourth president of India, and Gopal Swarup Pathak the country's fourth vice president. Smt V. S. Ramadevi was the first and only woman governor of Karnataka (1999–2002) and also holds the record of first woman chief election commissioner in india.

## Maharaja of Mysore

| No | Name | Portrait | Term of office | Term of office | Duration | Selected former office(s) |
| 1 | Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar | | 15 August 1947 | 25 January 1950 | 2 years, 163 days | Yuvaraja of Mysore |

## Rajpramukh of Mysore

| No | Name | Portrait | Term of office | Term of office | Duration | Selected former office(s) |
| 1 | Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar | | 26 January 1950 | 31 October 1956 | 6 years, 279 days | Maharaja of Mysore |

## Governors of Karnataka

This is a list of governors of Karnataka:
| No. | Name (born – died) | Portrait | Home state | Tenure in office | Tenure in office | Tenure in office | Immediate prior position held | Appointed by (President) |
| No. | Name (born – died) | Portrait | Home state | From | To | Time in office | Immediate prior position held | Appointed by (President) |
| Governor of Mysore State |||||||||
| 1 | Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar (1919–1974) | | Karnataka | 1 November 1956 | 4 May 1964 | 7 years, 185 days | Rajpramukh of Mysore State | Rajendra Prasad |
| 2 | S. M. Shrinagesh (1903–1977) | | Maharashtra | 4 May 1964 | 2 April 1965 | 333 days | Governor of Andhra Pradesh | Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan |
| 3 | V. V. Giri (1894–1980) | | Orissa | 2 April 1965 | 13 May 1967 | 2 years, 41 days | Governor of Uttar Pradesh | Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan |
| 4 | G. S. Pathak (1896–1982) | | Uttar Pradesh | 13 May 1967 | 30 August 1969 | 2 years, 109 days | Union Cabinet Minister of Law and Justice | Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan |
| – | Justice A. R. Somanath Iyer Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court (Acting) | | Tamil Nadu | 30 August 1969 | 23 October 1969 | 54 days | Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court | V. V. Giri |
| 5 | Dharma Vira (1906–2000) | | Uttar Pradesh | 23 October 1969 | 1 February 1972 | 2 years, 101 days | Governor of West Bengal | V. V. Giri |
| 6 | Mohan Lal Sukhadia (1916–1982) | | Rajasthan | 1 February 1972 | 31 October 1973 | 1 year, 272 days | Chief Minister of Rajasthan | V. V. Giri |
| Governor of Karnataka |||||||||
| (6) | Mohan Lal Sukhadia (1916–1982) | | Rajasthan | 1 November 1973 | 10 January 1976 | 2 years, 70 days | Governor of Mysore State | V. V. Giri |
| 7 | Uma Shankar Dikshit (1901–1991) | | Uttar Pradesh | 10 January 1976 | 2 August 1977 | 1 year, 204 days | Union Cabinet Minister for Home Affairs | Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed |
| 8 | Govind Narain (1916–2012) | | Uttar Pradesh | 2 August 1977 | 15 April 1983 | 6 years, 256 days | Member of Andhra Pradesh Administration Tribunal | B. D. Jatti (acting) |
| 9 | Ashoknath Banerji (1929–2006) | | West Bengal | 16 April 1983 | 25 February 1988 | 4 years, 315 days | Governor of Himachal Pradesh | Zail Singh |
| 10 | Pendekanti Venkatasubbaiah (1921–1993) | | Andhra Pradesh | 26 February 1988 | 5 February 1990 | 1 year, 344 days | Governor of Bihar | Ramaswamy Venkataraman |
| – | Justice S. Mohan Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court (Acting) | | Tamil Nadu | 5 February 1990 | 8 May 1990 | 92 days | Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court | Ramaswamy Venkataraman |
| 11 | Bhanu Pratap Singh (1917–?) | | Uttar Pradesh | 8 May 1990 | 6 January 1991 | 243 days | | Ramaswamy Venkataraman |
| 12 | Khurshed Alam Khan (1919–2013) | | Uttar Pradesh | 6 January 1991 | 2 December 1999 | 8 years, 330 days | Governor of Goa | Ramaswamy Venkataraman |
| 13 | V. S. Ramadevi (1934–2013) | | Andhra Pradesh | 2 December 1999 | 20 February 2002 | 2 years, 80 days | Governor of Himachal Pradesh | K. R. Narayanan |
| 14 | T. N. Chaturvedi (1928–2020) | | Uttar Pradesh | 21 August 2002 | 20 August 2007 | 4 years, 364 days | Member, Joint Committee on Installation of Portraits and statues of National Leaders and Parliamentarians in Parliament House | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam |
| 15 | Rameshwar Thakur (1925–2015) | | Jharkhand | 21 August 2007 | 24 June 2009 | 1 year, 307 days | Governor of Andhra Pradesh | Pratibha Patil |
| 16 | H. R. Bhardwaj (1939–2020) | | Punjab | 24 June 2009 | 29 June 2014 | 5 years, 5 days | Union Cabinet Minister of Law and Justice | Pratibha Patil |
| – | K. Rosaiah (1933–2021) (Additional charge) | | Andhra Pradesh | 29 June 2014 | 31 August 2014 | 63 days | Governor of Tamil Nadu | Pranab Mukherjee |
| 17 | Vajubhai Vala (born 1937) | | Gujarat | 1 September 2014 | 10 July 2021 | 6 years, 312 days | Speaker of Gujarat Legislative Assembly | Pranab Mukherjee |
| 18 | Thawar Chand Gehlot (born 1948) | | Madhya Pradesh | 11 July 2021 | Incumbent | 3 years, 158 days | Union Cabinet Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment | Ram Nath Kovind |

## Chief ministers of Karnataka under governors

List of Diwans of Mysore :
| | Chief Ministers of Mysore State (1947–1956) | Chief Ministers of Mysore State (1947–1956) |
| Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar (1947–1956) | K. Chengalaraya Reddy | Oct 1947 - Mar 1952 |
| Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar (1947–1956) | K. Hanumanthaiah | Mar 1952 - Aug 1956 |
| Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar (1947–1956) | Kadidal Manjappa | Aug 1956 - Oct 1956 |
| | Chief Ministers of Reorganised Mysore State (1956–1972) | Chief Ministers of Reorganised Mysore State (1956–1972) |
| Rajpramukh Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar (1956-1963) | S. Nijalingappa | Nov 1956 - May 1958 |
| Rajpramukh Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar (1956-1963) | B. D. Jatti | May 1958 - Mar 1962 |
| Rajpramukh Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar (1956-1963) | S. R. Kanthi | Mar 1962 - Jun 1962 |
| Rajpramukh Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar (1956-1963) | S. Nijalingappa | Jun 1962 - May 1964 |
| S M Srinagesh (1964-1965) | S. Nijalingappa | May 1964 - 1965 |
| V. V. Giri (1965-1967) | S. Nijalingappa | 1965 - 1967 |
| Gopal Swarup Pathak (1967-1969) | S. Nijalingappa | 1967 - May 1968 |
| Gopal Swarup Pathak (1967-1969) | Veerendra Patil | May 1968 - 1969 |
| Dharma Vira (1969-1972) | Veerendra Patil | 1969 - Mar 1971 |
| | Chief Ministers of Karnataka (1972-present) | Chief Ministers of Karnataka (1972-present) |
| Mohanlal Sukhadia (1972-1975) | D. Devaraj Urs | Mar 1972 - 1975 |
| Uma Shankar Dikshit (1975-1977) | D. Devaraj Urs | 1972 - Dec 1977 |
| Govind Narain (1977-1982) | D. Devaraj Urs | Feb 1977 - Jan 1980 |
| Govind Narain (1977-1982) | R. Gundu Rao | Jan 1980 - 1982 |
| Ashoknath Banerji (1982-1987) | R. Gundu Rao | 1982 - Jan 1983 |
| Ashoknath Banerji (1982-1987) | Ramakrishna Hegde | Jan 1983 - 1987 |
| Pendekanti Venkatasubbaiah (1987-1990) | Ramakrishna Hegde | 1987 - Aug 1988 |
| Pendekanti Venkatasubbaiah (1987-1990) | S. R. Bommai | Aug 1988 - Apr 1989 |
| Pendekanti Venkatasubbaiah (1987-1990) | Veerendra Patil | Nov 1989 - Oct 1990 |
| Bhanu Pratap Singh (1990-1992) | S. Bangarappa | Oct 1990- Nov 1992 |
| Khurshed Alam Khan (1992-1999) | M. Veerappa Moily | Nov 1992 - Dec 1994 |
| Khurshed Alam Khan (1992-1999) | H. D. Deve Gowda | Dec 1994 - May 1996 |
| Khurshed Alam Khan (1992-1999) | J. H. Patel | May 1996 - Oct 1999 |
| V. S. Ramadevi (1999-2002) | S. M. Krishna | Oct 1999 - 2002 |
| T. N. Chaturvedi (2002-2007) | S. M. Krishna | 2002 - May 2004 |
| T. N. Chaturvedi (2002-2007) | Dharam Singh | May 2004 - Jan 2006 |
| T. N. Chaturvedi (2002-2007) | H. D. Kumaraswamy | Feb 2006 - Oct 2007 |
| Rameshwar Thakur (2007-2009) | B. S. Yeddyurappa | Nov 2007 - Nov 2007 |
| Rameshwar Thakur (2007-2009) | B. S. Yeddyurappa | May 2008 - 2009 |
| Hans Raj Bhardwaj (2009-2014) | B. S. Yeddyurappa | 2009 - Jul 2011 |
| Hans Raj Bhardwaj (2009-2014) | D. V. Sadananda Gowda | Jul 2011 - Jul 2012 |
| Hans Raj Bhardwaj (2009-2014) | Jagadish Shettar | Jul 2012 - May 2013 |
| Hans Raj Bhardwaj (2009-2014) | Siddaramaiah | May 2013 - 2014 |
| Konijeti Rosaiah (2014) | Siddaramaiah | 2014 |
| Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala (2014-2021) | Siddaramaiah | 2014 - 2018 |
| Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala (2014-2021) | H. D. Kumaraswamy | 2018 - 2019 |
| Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala (2014-2021) | B. S. Yeddyurappa | 2019 - 2021 |
| Thawar Chand Gehlot (2021-present) | Basavaraj Bommai | 2021 - 2023 |
| Thawar Chand Gehlot (2021-present) | Siddaramaiah | 2023-present |