The Wire Staff 
New Delhi: S.M. Krishna, former external affairs minister and Karnataka chief minister, passed away today, December 10. He was 92.
The news agency PTI has quoted a family source as having said that he was ailing for some time.
Krishna was born in Karnataka’s Mandya district in 1932. He first won the Maddur state assembly seat in 1962 as an independent.
Krishna was a part of the Congress party for nearly five decades till 2017, when he left to join the Bharatiya Janata Party. By 2023, he had retired from active politics.
Between 1999 and 2004, Krishna was Karnataka chief minister. He was the governor of Maharashtra between 2004 and 2008. Between 2009 and 2012, he was external affairs minister.
Krishna is a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest Indian civilian award.
The Karnataka government has announced a three-day mourning period. Government offices, schools and colleges will be closed on December 11.
Tributes have poured in from politicians and Bengaluru public figures.