Dr. Sudha Yadav was sworn in as Karnataka's 20th Governor on Friday, joining a short list of women to have held that constitutional position in the state — only one other person before her had done so. Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court Vibhu Bakhru presided over the swearing-in ceremony, which was held at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru.

Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, and a number of other invited officials were among those present at the event. Two proceedings took place inside the Banquet Hall of Vidhana Soudha — one marking the arrival of the newly appointed Governor, the other honouring outgoing Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot as he stepped down from the post.

Shivakumar received Dr. Yadav and noted that the two had a foundation to build on, pointing to Karnataka's prior experience under Ramadevi, the state's first woman to hold the Governor's post. He extended an invitation for collective effort with renewed enthusiasm and offered congratulations to Yadav, whose oath-taking ceremony fell on her birthday.

Shivakumar expressed appreciation to Gehlot for his cooperation over the five-year period, observing that Gehlot had developed an understanding of the state's governance structures, cultural traditions, and communities. He added, in a statement, that Gehlot had both supported the administration and offered guidance on efforts to improve conditions for the state's residents. Gehlot's tenure as Karnataka's Governor ran from 21 July 2021 until his appointment came to an end.

On 12 October, President Droupadi Murmu issued a formal order posting Dr. Sudha Yadav as Governor of Karnataka. Shivakumar conveyed that both the Prime Minister and the Home Minister had reached out to him by telephone regarding Yadav's appointment, adding that the state administration had broadly gone along with the decisions handed down by the Governor.

With Dr. Yadav's appointment, only one other woman — V.S. Ramadevi, whose tenure in that office ran from 1999 through 2002 — has previously occupied the Karnataka Governor's chair. Prior to the swearing-in event, Dr. Yadav laid flowers at the National Military Memorial in Bengaluru. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Gehlot extended a formal felicitation to the incoming Governor, while Shivakumar marked the occasion by presenting her with a bouquet of flowers.

Among those who attended the function were R. Ashoka, holding the position of Opposition leader in the Assembly, and Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, who led the Opposition in the Legislative Council.

Born and raised in Haryana, Dr. Sudha Yadav built her career within the BJP, taking on a range of party roles over time. Her political career included a term in Parliament representing the Mahendragarh constituency from 1999 through 2004, after which she took on the role of national secretary within the BJP. She also held leadership of the party's OBC Morcha, the wing dedicated to Other Backward Classes.

Her appointment to the National Commission for Backward Classes ran through a three-year period from 2019 to 2022. That same month in 2022, a seat on the BJP's Parliamentary Board — the body holding ultimate authority over party decisions — was extended to her.

Shivakumar extended an invitation to Dr. Yadav to attend the Dasara celebrations in Mysuru, describing the occasion as a window into the cultural heritage and longstanding traditions of Karnataka.