New Delhi: Narendra Modi is set to become the longest-serving non-congress Prime Minister of India. Modi matched the record held by Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee on August 14. Atal Bihari Vajpayee served in office for 2,272 days across three separate terms. On August 15, Narendra Modi will surpass Vajpayee.
In May 2014, Modi was first elected as PM. He led the BJP party to a massive victory in the Lok Sabha election. He won 282 seats in the Lower House.
For the second time, in May 2019, Modi took the vow as Prime Minister of India. He returned to power with an unrivaled 303 seats.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee was first elected as PM of India in 1996. He stayed in the office for 13 days between May 16 and June 1. His second term came in 1998 between March 1998 and April 1999. He served as PM for 13 months. Later he served as PM of India for the third time when he was elected again in 1999. He served 5 years as PM of India between 1999 and 2004.
During his 13 days’ tenure as the PM, Vajpayee was technically the caretaker PM. He resigned office and his successor H.D. Deve Gowda took oath as the PM on June 1, 1996.
Image Source: hindustantimes.com (As on August 13, 2020.)
Other than Vajpayee and Modi, the PM with the longest tenure record is held by Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru stayed in the office for 6,130 days.
Nehru, the first Congress PM of India assumed office on August 15, 1947, and stayed in the office till May 27, 1964.
Indira Gandhi, daughter of Nehru also stayed in the office as PM of India for 5,829 days. Former PM Manmohan Singh was in the office for 10 years. He started his tenure on May 22, 2004, and stayed in the office as the PM till May 26, 2014.
Narendra Modi before becoming PM of India served as the CM of Gujarat for 13 years.
