Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become the longest serving PM of non-Congress political stock, surpassing the 2,268 days that his BJP senior Atal Bihari Vajpayee had clocked in his three terms combined. Modi, who is in the second year of his second tenure, now boasts of the fourth longest serving PM after Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, all belonging to Congress.
Vajpayee had three terms as PM - a 16-day tenure from May 16 to June 1 in 1996, followed by a 13-month tenure from 1998-1999 and a full five-year term between 1999-2004. BJP MP and head of the party's good governance cell, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, said Modi's feat reflected the popularity he had earned because of his work.
“First, his work in Gujarat made him the popular choice for PM in 2014. His performance in office enhanced his appeal and helped him score an even bigger win in 2019. The back to back victories left no doubt about the stability of his government, and has given him the strength to deal with the challenges facing the economy, national security and foreign policy," he said.
Nehru, the first PM, remains the longest serving with a 17-year spell spread over three terms. His daughter Indira Gandhi was the second longest serving, holding office for 11 years from 1966 to 1977. She lost in 1977 but regained office in 1980 and held it until 1984. Manmohan Singh was in office for a decade, from 2004 to 2014.
The non-Congress prime ministers who could not complete their tenure included Morarji Desai (March 24, 1977 - July 28, 1979), Charan Singh (July 28, 1979 - January 14, 1980), Vishwanath Pratap Singh (December 2, 1989 - November 10, 1990), Chandra Shekhar (November 10, 1990 - June 21, 1991), H.D. Deve Gowda (June 1, 1996 - April 21, 1997) and Inder Kumar Gujral (April 21, 1997 - March 19, 1998).
