10 Longest Serving Chief Ministers in India

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These leaders have made significant contributions to their respective states, shaping the political landscape of India over the decades, here are some things to know about them.

1

Pawan Kumar Chamling

Chamling served as the Chief Minister of Sikkim for 24 years and 165 days, from December 1994 to May 2019.

2

Jyoti Basu

Basu held office for 23 years, from June 1977 to November 2000,He was a prominent leader of the Communist Party of India.

3

Gegong Apang

Apang served for a total of 22  years and 8 months, across two non-consecutive terms: January 1980 to August 1999 and August 2003 to  April 2007.

4

Naveen Patnaik

Patnaik has been serving as the Chief Minister since March 2000, As of June 2023, he has been in office for over 23 years.

5

Manik Sarkar

Sarkar served as the Chief Minister of Tripura for 20 years, from March 1998 to March 2018, he is known for his simple lifestyle.

6

M. Karunanidhi

Karunanidhi served as Chief Minister for nearly 20 years across five terms from 1969 to 2011.

7

Virbhadra Singh

Singh served six terms as the  Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, totalling around 21 years in office​.

8

Parkash Singh Badal

Badal was the Chief Minister of Punjab four times, serving a total of around 19 years, with terms starting in 1970 and ending in 2017​.

9

Lal Thanhawla

Thanhawla served five terms as the Chief Minister of Mizoram, totalling nearly 19 years from 1984 to 2018​.

10

Nitish Kumar

Kumar has served multiple terms since November 2005, accumulating over 16 years in office as of his latest term starting in November 2020​.