DH Web Desk
Rank 01
Pawan Kumar Chamling holds the record as the longest-serving Chief Minister of Sikkim, having served for over 25 years from December 12, 1994, until May 26, 2019.
Credit: X/@pawanchamling5
Rank 02
Naveen Patnaik holds the distinction of having served as the Chief Minister of Odisha for over 24 continuous years, with his tenure lasting from March 5, 2000, until June 11, 2024.
Credit: DH Pool Photo
Rank 03
Jyoti Basu served as the Chief Minister of West Bengal for a continuous period of over 23 years, with his tenure continuing from June 21, 1977, until November 5, 2000.
Credit: X/@TheBengalIndex
Rank 04
With a political career totaling over 22 years as CM, Gegong Apang led Arunachal Pradesh in two phases: his long initial term (1980–1999) and a second term (2003–2007).
Credit: X/@gegongapang
Rank 05
Lal Thanhawla served as Mizoram's Chief Minister for a cumulative period of over 22 years, spread across three non-continuous tenures between 1984 and 2018.
Credit: DH Pool Photo
Rank 06
Virbhadra Singh served as the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh for a cumulative period of over 21 years across four non-continuous terms. He held office from April 8, 1983, to March 5, 1990; December 3, 1993, to March 24, 1998; March 6, 2003, to December 30, 2007; and December 25, 2012, to December 27, 2017.
Credit: PTI
Rank 07
Manik Sarkar served as the Chief Minister of Tripura for a continuous period of over 19 years. He held the office from March 11, 1998, until March 9, 2018.
Credit: PTI
Rank 08
Nitish Kumar has served as Bihar's Chief Minister for a cumulative total of about 19 years, holding office intermittently since March 2000, including his major terms from 2005 to 2014 and 2015 to 2025.
Credit: PTI
Rank 09
M. Karunanidhi was Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister for a total of over 18 years, serving in five non-continuous tenures from 1969 to 2011.
Credit: PTI
Rank 10
Parkash Singh Badal held the position of Punjab Chief Minister five times, accumulating over 18 years of service, with his terms running intermittently from March 1970 to March 2017.
Credit: PTI