Nitish Kumar, the Janata Dal (United) supremo, is all set to take oath as chief minister of Bihar at a mega event at Patna’s iconic Gandhi Maidan today, 20 November. This will be the 10th time that Kumar, 74, will take oath as Bihar CM in the last 20 years.
Nitish Kumar became Bihar CM for the first time in 2000. The government collapsed within eight days. His next stint began in 2005. Since then, there has been no stopping him until 2014, when he resigned after JD(U)’s poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections that year, only to be sworn in as CM again.
The last time he took the oath as Chief Minister was in January 2024, when he and his party switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Here is a look at the longest-serving chief ministers in India:
1- Pawan Kumar Chamling, Sikkim: 24+ years (December 12, 1994 – May 26, 2019)
Pawan Kumar Chamling served as the Chief Minister of Sikkim for nearly 24 years and 165 days. Under his leadership, his party, the Sikkim Democratic Front, won five consecutive terms, making him India’s longest-serving chief minister.
2- Naveen Patnaik, Odisha: 24 years (March 5, 2000 – June 12, 2024)
Biju Janata Dal’s Naveen Patnaik first assumed office of the chief minister of Odisha in 2000. Patnaik continued for over two decades. His tenure ended after the 2024 Odisha elections, when the BJP won a decisive majority. Patnaik was the chief minister for 24 years.
3- Jyoti Basu, West Bengal: 23 years (June 21, 1977 – November 5, 2000)
Communist leader Jyoti Basu led West Bengal for over two decades. Basu declined the opportunity to become India’s Prime Minister, despite being offered the post.
Basu served as the 6th and longest-serving Chief Minister of West Bengal from 1977 to 2000. He was one of the founding members of the Communist Party of India.
4 – Gegong Apang, Arunachal Pradesh: 22 years (January 18, 1980 – January 19, 1999; August 3, 2003 – April 9, 2007)
Gegong Apang served as chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh for nearly 23 years in two separate stints. His first tenure, from 1980 to 1999. The second term was from 2003 to 2007. Apang has been associated with multiple parties, including the Congress and the BJP.
5- Lal Thanhawla, Mizoram: 22 years (May 5, 1984 – August 21, 1986; January 24, 1989 – December 3, 1998; December 11, 2008 – December 15, 2018)
Lal Thanhawla served as Chief Minister of Mizoram five times and has been one of the longest-serving Congress leaders in the Northeast.
6- Virbhadra Singh, Himachal Pradesh: 21 years (April 8, 1983 – March 5, 1990; December 3, 1993 – March 24, 1998; March 6, 2003 – December 30, 2007; December 25, 2012 – December 27, 2017)
Virbhadra Singh was a Congress veteran who served multiple terms as Himachal Pradesh’s Chief Minister, becoming the state’s longest-serving CM over two decades.
7- Manik Sarkar, Tripura: 19 years (March 11, 1998 – March 9, 2018)
Manik Sarkar served as the Chief Minister of Tripura for four consecutive terms (1998–2018) and is known as one of India’s most prominent Left leaders.
8 – Nitish Kumar, Bihar: 19 years (March 3 – 11, 2000; November 24, 2005 – May 20, 2014; February 2, 2015 – November 19, 2025)
Nitish Kumar is Bihar’s longest-serving Chief Minister, holding office for nearly 20 years across multiple terms. He has been the CM of Bihar since 2005, except for about a year’s break in 2014.
Nitish, 74, will take oath as Bihar CM for the record 10th term today.
9- M Karunanidhi, Tamil Nadu: 18 years (February 10, 1969 – January 31, 1976; January 27, 1989 – January 30, 1991; May 13, 1996 – May 14, 2001; May 13, 2006 – May 16, 2011)
DMK veteran M Karunanidhi served multiple terms as Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister , leaving a lasting legacy in the state’s politics. His son, MK Stalin, is the incumbent CM of Tamil Nadu.
10- Parkash Singh Badal, Punjab: 18 years (March 27, 1970 – June 14, 1971; June 20, 1977 – February 17, 1980; February 12, 1997 – February 26, 2002; March 1, 2007 – March 16, 2017)
Akali Dal veteran Parkash Singh Badal served as Chief Minister of Punjab five times, making him one of India’s longest-serving CMs and considered a towering figure in Punjab politics and Sikh political representation.
