PM Modi becomes longest-serving head of govt in India

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi surpassed the 8,930-day record of former Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling to become the longest-serving head of a government in India.

• Modi took the oath as the Gujarat Chief Minister on October 7, 2001.

• He has the distinction of being the longest-serving Gujarat CM, with his term spanning from October 2001 to May 2014.

• He was sworn in as the 14th Prime Minister of India on May 26, 2014, after winning the Lok Sabha elections held that year.

• He is also the first Prime Minister of India to have been born after Independence and has secured victory in three consecutive Lok Sabha elections in 2014, 2019, and 2024.

• In February, PM Modi crossed 100 million followers on Instagram, becoming the first serving world leader and politician to achieve the milestone on the platform. 

• On X (formerly Twitter), PM Modi has 106.4 million followers. 

Who is Pawan Kumar Chamling?

• Pawan Kumar Chamling, the founder of the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) holds the record for the longest number of days as Chief Minister. He was the head of the elected government in Sikkim from December 12, 1994 till May 27, 2019 — more than 24 years.

• Before Chamling, the record was held by Jyoti Basi, who served for 23 years and 137 days as the Chief Minister of West Bengal.

• Naveen Patnaik holds the record of second longest-serving Chief Minister, having held office in Odisha for over 24 years, from March 5, 2000, to June 12, 2024. He surpassed Jyoti Basu's record in July 2023. 

• Patnaik is also the third leader after Chamling and Basu to become the CM of a state for five consecutive times. 

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)