The Indian Constitution establishes the Chief Minister as the de facto executive authority of the state, while the Governor serves as the de jure head.
The appointment of the Chief Minister and other ministers is governed by Article 164, which mandates that the Governor appoints the Chief Minister, typically the leader of the party with a majority in the state assembly.
Gujarat was formed on May 1, 1960, following the Mahagujarat movement, which led to the separation of Gujarati-speaking districts from Bombay State.
The inaugural Chief Minister was Jivraj Narayan Mehta from the Indian National Congress, who served until March 3, 1962. Since its establishment, Gujarat has had a total of 18 Chief Ministers.
As of January 2025, Bhupendrabhai Patel is serving as the current Chief Minister, having taken office on September 13, 2021, after the resignation of Vijay Rupani.
Looking ahead, the next elections in Gujarat are anticipated to be significant. The voting for key constituencies will take place on December 5, 2025, with counting scheduled for December 8, 2025.
This article provides a comprehensive list of all Chief Ministers of Gujarat from 1960 to 2026, detailing their terms and political affiliations.
List of Chief Ministers of Gujarat (1960-2026)
Here's the list of all the chief ministers of Gujarat from 1960 till now. The list includes:
|
No
|
Name
|
Term of Office
|
Duration
|
Party
|
|
1
|
Jivraj Mehta
|
1 May 1960 – 3 March 1962
|
2 years, 300 days
|
Indian National Congress
|
|
3 March 1962 – 25 February 1963
|
||||
|
2
|
Balwantrai Mehta
|
25 February 1963 – 19 September 1965
|
2 years, 206 days
|
Indian National Congress
|
|
3
|
Hitendra Desai
|
19 September 1965 – 3 April 1967
|
5 years, 236 days
|
Indian National Congress
|
|
3 April 1967 – 12 November 1969
|
||||
|
12 November 1969 – 13 May 1971
|
Indian National Congress (O)
|
|||
|
–
|
Vacant (President's Rule)
|
13 May 1971 – 17 March 1972
|
309 days
|
N/A
|
|
4
|
Ghanshyam Oza
|
17 March 1972 – 17 July 1973
|
1 year, 122 days
|
Indian National Congress
|
|
5
|
Chimanbhai Patel
|
17 July 1973 – 9 February 1974
|
207 days
|
Indian National Congress
|
|
–
|
Vacant (President's Rule)
|
9 February 1974 – 18 June 1975
|
1 year, 129 days
|
N/A
|
|
6
|
Babubhai Patel
|
18 June 1975 – 12 March 1976
|
268 days
|
Indian National Congress (O)
|
|
–
|
Vacant (President's Rule)
|
12 March 1976 – 24 December 1976
|
287 days
|
N/A
|
|
7
|
Madhav Singh Solanki
|
24 December 1976 – 11 April 1977
|
108 days
|
Indian National Congress
|
|
6
|
Babubhai Patel
|
11 April 1977 – 17 February 1980
|
2 years, 312 days
|
Janata Party
|
|
–
|
Vacant (President's Rule)
|
17 February 1980 – 7 June 1980
|
111 days
|
N/A
|
|
7
|
Madhav Singh Solanki
|
7 June 1980 – 10 March 1985
|
5 years, 29 days
|
Indian National Congress
|
|
11 March 1985 – 6 July 1985
|
||||
|
8
|
Amarsinh Chaudhary
|
6 July 1985 – 10 December 1989
|
4 years, 157 days
|
Indian National Congress
|
|
7
|
Madhav Singh Solanki
|
10 December 1989 – 4 March 1990
|
84 days
|
Indian National Congress
|
|
5
|
Chimanbhai Patel
|
4 March 1990 – 25 October 1990
|
3 years, 350 days
|
Janata Dal
|
|
25 October 1990 – 17 February 1994
|
Indian National Congress
|
|||
|
9
|
Chhabildas Mehta
|
17 February 1994 – 14 March 1995
|
1 year, 25 days
|
Indian National Congress
|
|
10
|
Keshubhai Patel
|
14 March 1995 – 21 October 1995
|
221 days
|
Bharatiya Janata Party
|
|
11
|
Suresh Mehta
|
21 October 1995 – 19 September 1996
|
334 days
|
Bharatiya Janata Party
|
|
–
|
Vacant (President's Rule)
|
19 September 1996 – 23 October 1996
|
34 days
|
N/A
|
|
12
|
Shankersinh Vaghela
|
23 October 1996 – 28 October 1997
|
1 year, 5 days
|
Rashtriya Janata Party
|
|
13
|
Dilip Parikh
|
28 October 1997 – 4 March 1998
|
127 days
|
Rashtriya Janata Party
|
|
10
|
Keshubhai Patel
|
4 March 1998 – 7 October 2001
|
3 years, 217 days
|
Bharatiya Janata Party
|
|
14
|
Narendra Modi
|
7 October 2001 – 22 December 2002
|
12 years, 227 days
|
Bharatiya Janata Party
|
|
22 December 2002 – 22 December 2007
|
||||
|
23 December 2007 – 20 December 2012
|
||||
|
20 December 2012 – 22 May 2014
|
||||
|
15
|
Anandiben Patel
|
22 May 2014 – 7 August 2016
|
2 years, 77 days
|
Bharatiya Janata Party
|
|
16
|
Vijay Rupani
|
7 August 2016 – 26 December 2017
|
5 years, 37 days
|
Bharatiya Janata Party
|
|
26 December 2017 – 13 September 2021
|
||||
|
17
|
Bhupendrabhai Patel
|
13 September 2021 – 12 December 2022
|
3 years, 120 days
|
Bharatiya Janata Party
|
|
12 December 2022 – Incumbent
|
Source: CMO Gujarat
Who is the Current Gujarat CM?
The current Chief Minister of Gujarat is Bhupendrabhai Patel, who has been in office since September 13, 2021. He represents the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was re-elected for a second term on December 12, 2022, following the party's significant victory in the state assembly elections, where they won 156 out of 182 seats.
Additionally, the next elections for the Chief Minister of Gujarat are scheduled for December 2027. These elections will be held to elect all 182 members of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly.
For You| Maharashtra CM List: Chief Ministers of Maharashtra with Party Names and Tenure till 2024
Key Highlights:
- The first Chief Minister of the state was Jivraj Narayan Mehta.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the longest-serving Chief Minister of Gujarat (2001-2014).
- The first female Chief Minister of the state is Anandiben Patel.
- Bhupendra Patel is also the one to serve for the shortest periods as 17th CM.
What's Next| Delhi CM List: Chief Ministers of Delhi Party Names and Tenure till 2024