S. M. Krishna

S. M. Krishna
Krishna in 2009.
27th Minister of External Affairs
In office 23 May 2009 – 28 October 2012
Prime Minister	Manmohan Singh
Preceded by	Pranab Mukherjee
Succeeded by	Salman Khurshid
18th Governor of Maharashtra
In office 12 December 2004 – 5 March 2008
Chief Minister	Vilasrao Deshmukh
Preceded by	Mohammed Fazal
Succeeded by	S. C. Jamir
10th Chief Minister of Karnataka
In office 11 October 1999 – 28 May 2004
Preceded by	J. H. Patel
Succeeded by	N. Dharam Singh
1st Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka
In office 21 January 1993 – 11 December 1994
Chief Minister	M. Veerappa Moily
Preceded by	Office Established
Succeeded by	J. H. Patel
Constituency	Maddur
13th Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly
In office 18 December 1989 – 20 January 1993
Preceded by	B. G. Banakar, JP
Succeeded by	V. S. Koujalagi, INC
Personal details
Born	(1932-05-01)1 May 1932 Somanahalli, Kingdom of Mysore, British India (now in Karnataka, India)
Died	10 December 2024(2024-12-10) (aged 92) Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party (March 2017 – 2023)
Other political affiliations	Indian National Congress (1971 – January 2017) Praja Socialist Party (1962–1971)
Spouse(s)	Prema(1966-2024)
Relatives	V. G. Siddhartha (son in-law)
Alma mater	Mysore University Southern Methodist University George Washington University Law School
Honours	Padma Vibhushan (2023)

Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna (1 May 1932 – 10 December 2024) was an Indian politician. He was Minister of External Affairs of India from 2009 to October 2012. He was a member of the Indian Parliament in the Rajya Sabha. Krishna was the 16th Chief Minister of Karnataka from 1999 to 2004 and the 19th Governor of Maharashtra from 2004 to 2008.

Krishna died from a long illness at his home in Bengaluru, India on 10 December 2024, at the age of 92.

Early Life and Education

Krishna was born in Somanahalli village in the Mandya district of Karnataka, India. He studied at Mysore University and later went to the United States to study law at George Washington University. His education helped him gain knowledge about law, government and international affairs.

Political Career in Karnataka

Krishna started his political journey with the Indian National Congress party. He served as an MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) in Karnataka several times.

He became the 16th Chief Minister of Karnataka from 1999 to 2004. During his time as CM, he worked to make Bengaluru a global IT hub. He focused on urban development, infrastructure and attracting foreign investment. His leadership was known for being modern and technology-friendly.

Governor of Maharashtra

After serving in Karnataka, Krishna was appointed the 19th Governor of Maharashtra. He held this position from 2004 to 2008. As Governor, he stayed neutral in state politics and performed duties as a representative of the President of India.

Minister of External Affairs

In 2009, he became the Minister of External Affairs of India, a top position in the national government. He served until October 2012. During this time, he represented India in many international meetings and built strong ties with countries around the world.