Who are India’s longest-serving CMs? Nitish Kumar enters top 10 with 10th oath

Bihar witnessed another political milestone on Thursday as Nitish Kumar once again returned to the Chief Minister’s chair, taking oath for the tenth time.

With this, the 74-year-old leader has stretched his run in office to nearly 19 years, placing him among the nation’s longest-serving heads of government.

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The oath ceremony at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior National Democratic Alliance (NDA) figures, reflected the central role Kumar continues to play in Bihar’s coalition politics.

Also Read: Nitish Kumar takes oath as Bihar Chief Minister for record 10th term

Nitish Kumar’s long political arc

Kumar’s political life began in the heat of the JP Movement. Born in Bakhtiyarpur in 1951, he joined the Janata Party early on and contested his first Assembly election in 1977, albeit unsuccessfully. His first win came eight years later, in 1985, setting him on a path that would eventually make him the face of Bihar politics.

Over time, he has alternated between allies and blocs so frequently that rivals mockingly call him ‘Paltu Ram’, even as supporters hail him as ‘Sushashan Babu’ for his governance record.

A spot among India’s top 10 longest-serving CMs

With Thursday’s oath, Nitish Kumar formally enters the list of India’s longest-tenured chief ministers, a list that has historically been dominated by leaders who reshaped their states over decades. The current top 10:

1. Jyoti Basu (West Bengal) – Over 23 years (1977 – 2000)
2. Pawan Kumar Chamling (Sikkim) – Over 25 years (Dec 1994 – May 2019)
3. Manik Sarkar (Tripura) – A little over 19 years (1998–2018)
4. Naveen Patnaik (Odisha) – Over 24 years (Mar 2000 – Jun 2024)
5. Virbhadra Singh (Himachal Pradesh) – More than 21 years across four terms
6. M Karunanidhi (Tamil Nadu) – Over 18 years across four terms
7. Gegong Apang (Arunachal Pradesh) – More than 22 years over two long stints
8. Lal Thanhawla (Mizoram) – Over 22 years across multiple terms
9. Parkash Singh Badal (Punjab) – Over 18 years across multiple terms
10. Nitish Kumar (Bihar) – Close to 19 years (2000; 2005–2014; 2015–2025)

A political survivor entering yet another phase

Nitish Kumar’s political journey has rarely followed a straight line. From switching partners to recalibrating his strategies, he has managed to stay relevant for nearly five decades. Thursday’s swearing-in adds to that long, complicated story, one that continues to evolve.