In India, there are various political landscapes in which the Chief Minister plays a very important role in regional and national forces, with the position of Chief Minister being central to state governance. While the standard tenure for this office is legislated for a five-year term, certain individuals have distinguished themselves by serving for exceptionally long durations. The phenomenon of being tenures for CMs of Indian states is a significant aspect of India's political history which is reflecting a unique combination of political stability, public confidence, and effective leadership.
As the Prime Minister is the head of the central government, in the same way, the Chief Minister of a state is the head of the state. Article 164 of the Constitution envisages that the Chief Minister (CM) shall be appointed by the Governor.
The usual tenure of the CM is 5 years, but there are many Chief Ministers in India who have served many years as the CM of a state.
Before June 2019, former Chief Minister of West Bengal Mr. Jyoti Basu was the longest-serving Chief Minister of India. He served 23 years, 137 days as the CM of West Bengal but on June 10, 2019; the record of longest-serving CM of the state was changed.
Basu ji had served the post from 21 June 1977 to 6 November 2000. Now, Pawan Kumar Chamling (Sikkim) has become the longest-serving (24 years, 165 days) CM in the country.
Source: nlcbharat.org
The following list systematically enumerates and examines the careers of the longest-serving Chief Ministers in India. Their 5 years of tenures make the states from valuable insights into the dynamics of state-level politics, sustained electoral success, and the profound impact of long-term leadership on the socio-political fabric of a state.
Here is the list of longest-serving CMs of India
| S. No. | Name of Chief Minister | State | Duration |
| 1. | Pawan Kumar Chamling | Sikkim | 24 years, 165days |
| 2. | Naveen Patnaik | Odisha | 24 years, 99 days |
| 3. | Jyoti Basu | West Bengal | 23 years, 137 days |
| 4. | Gegong Apang | Arunachal Pradesh | 22 years, 250 days |
| 5. | Lal Thanhawla | Mizoram | 22 years, 60 days |
| 6. | Virbhadra Singh | Himachal Pradesh | 21 years, 13 days |
| 7. | Manik Sarkar | Tripura | 19 years, 363 days |
| 8. | M. Karunanidhi | Tamil Nadu | 18 years, 362 days |
| 9. | Parkash Singh Badal | Punjab | 18 years, 350 days |
| 10. | Nitish Kumar | Bihar | 18 years, 347 days |
Note: The tenure of the chief ministers is not consecutive. The tenure refers to the total time he/she has held the office in different sessions of assemblies.
About the longest-serving Chief Minister of States
1. Pawan Kumar Chamling has the record of the longest-serving Chief Minister of any state in India. Pawan Kumar was first sworn in as CM of Sikkim on 12 December 1994 and holding this post since then continuously till 2019.
The Founder and President of the Sikkim Democratic Front, Pawan Kumar governed the state for five successive terms since 1994. His total time as the Chief Minister has become 24 years, 265 days.
2. Naveen Patnaik has served as the 14th Chief Minister of Odisha from 5 March 2000 to 12 June 2024. He remaind the Chief Minister for the period of 24 years, 99 days.
Source: naveenpatnaik
3. Jyotirindra Basu has served as the 6th Chief Minister of West Bengal from 1977 to 2000. He remained the Chief Minister for the period of 23 years, 137 days.
Source: alchetron
So this was the list of top 10 longest-serving Chief Ministers in India.
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