No, Nitish Kumar Is Not The Longest-Serving CM In India: Here Are The Leaders Who've Served Longer Tenures

Nitish Kumar took oath as Bihar CM for a record 10th time, but despite multiple stints, he is only the eighth longest-serving Chief Minister in India.

Nitish Kumar’s reappointment was widely expected once the poll numbers were declared.

Source : PTI

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Nitish Kumar may have taken oath as Bihar Chief Minister for a record 10th time on Thursday, but despite the unprecedented number of swearing-ins, he still does not top the list of India’s longest-serving Chief Ministers. The ceremony, held at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan, marked yet another political milestone for the Janata Dal (United) chief, one that underscores his recurring centrality in Bihar’s politics rather than total years spent in the chair.

Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha were sworn in again as Deputy Chief Ministers, mirroring the power arrangement of the previous NDA government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president JP Nadda, and other senior NDA leaders attended the event, signalling a smooth continuation of the alliance in the state.

A Clear Mandate Brings NDA Back

The latest oath-taking comes just days after the Bihar Assembly elections, conducted on November 6 and November 11, with counting completed on November 14. The National Democratic Alliance secured a comfortable majority to form the next government, driven significantly by JD(U)’s performance.

Nitish Kumar’s reappointment was widely expected once the numbers were declared, reinforcing his role as one of the most influential political figures in state politics today.

Longest-Serving CMs: Where Nitish Really Stands

Article 164 of the Constitution empowers the Governor to appoint the Chief Minister, who typically serves a five-year term. However, several leaders have stayed in office far longer, shaping their states over decades.

Despite his ten separate stints as CM, Nitish Kumar’s cumulative tenure, 19 years and 93 days, places him eighth in India’s all-time list of longest-serving Chief Ministers. The top spot belongs to Pawan Kumar Chamling, who led Sikkim for 24 years and 165 days, overtaking Jyoti Basu’s long-standing record in 2019.

Below is a table of the 10 longest-serving Chief Ministers in India:

Rank	Chief Minister	State	Total Time in Office
1	Pawan Kumar Chamling	Sikkim	24 years, 165 days
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	Nitish Kumar	Bihar	19 years, 93 days
9	M. Karunanidhi	Tamil Nadu	18 years, 362 days
10	Parkash Singh Badal	Punjab	18 years, 350 days

Nitish Kumar’s record number of oaths highlights his unique political journey, defined by comebacks, coalitions, and course-corrections, but longevity is still an arena dominated by others. As he begins another term, his influence over Bihar’s political landscape remains undeniable, even if the title of India’s longest-serving Chief Minister lies elsewhere.

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