Thawar Chand Gehlot

Thawar Chand Gehlot (born 18 May 1948) is an Indian politician who is the current Governor of Karnataka since 2021, being the first person serving as the Governor of Karnataka from Madhya Pradesh. He assumed office of the Governor of Karnataka on 11 July 2021. He also served as the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment in the Government of India from 2014 to 2021. He was also the Leader of the House in the upper house of Indian Parliament. He was a member of the Parliamentary Board and the Central Election Committee of the BJP.

Early life Gehlot was born in a Dalit family in the village of Rupeta in Nagda in the Central India Agency of the Dominion of India, which is in present-day Madhya Pradesh, India. His family migrated from Rupeta to Nagda when factories of Grasim Industries were set up in Nagda. He worked hard in his early life and was specially keen to many sports such as kabaddi and hockey.

He is a senior member of Bharatiya Janata Party. He had assumed ministerial berth a number of times in the union government.

He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree from Vikram University, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.

Career In 1980 he participated in the Vidhan Sabha election from Alote.

He was a member of the Rajya Sabha, upper house of Indian Parliament representing the state of Madhya Pradesh. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University of Social Sciences. He formerly represented Shajapur in the lower house of Indian Parliament, Lok Sabha from 1996 to 2009. He served as the Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, in Modi's 2nd cabinet. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was also the general secretary of the party.

Governor On 6 July 2021, Thawar Chand Gehlot was appointed the 13th Governor of Karnataka.

Following the 2023 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election, Gehlot invited Siddaramaiah to form the government after the Indian National Congress secured a majority in the Assembly. On 20 May 2023, he administered the oath of office to Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister and to the members of the Council of Ministers.

In August 2024, Gehlot granted sanction for the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 in connection with the alleged Mysore Urban Development Authority land allotment case (MUDA case), following petitions filed by activists. The decision was challenged by Siddaramaiah, who alleged that the sanction was politically motivated and legally untenable. The Karnataka High Court upheld the Governor's sanction, allowing the investigation to proceed, while the matter also became the subject of further judicial proceedings. The Governor's decision drew significant political attention and sparked debate over the discretionary powers of Governors in granting prosecution sanction against sitting Chief Ministers.

In January 2026, Gehlot declined to read certain portions of the Governor's Address prepared by the Karnataka government during the Budget Session of the Karnataka Legislature, stating that they were inconsistent with constitutional conventions. He read only the opening and concluding portions of the address before leaving the Assembly. The incident triggered a political controversy, following which Gehlot submitted a report on the proceedings to the President of India.

In July 2026, Gehlot suspended Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) Chairman Shivashankarappa S. Sahukar following allegations that he had facilitated the unlawful selection of his two daughters for government posts and failed to disclose a conflict of interest. Invoking his powers under Article 317 of the Constitution, Gehlot also recommended that the President of India refer the matter to the Supreme Court for an inquiry into the allegations. Pending the inquiry, the senior-most member of the Commission was directed to discharge the functions of the KPSC Chairman.