Raman Singh breaks Modi's record to be longest serving BJP CM

Having completed 12 years and 230 days on Monday at the helm of the Chhattisgarh government, Raman Singh has surpassed Narendra Modi to become the 11th longest serving chief minister in the country.

Raman Singh, 63, has broken Modi's record as the chief minister of Gujarat from October 7, 2001, to May 22, 2014, before he assumed the office of Prime Minister on May 26, 2014.

Having first assumed the chief ministerial office on December 7, 2003, Raman Singh has thus become the longest serving Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief minister of a state in the country.

There has been a long line of people arriving at Raman Singh's residence here to congratulate him on the occasion.

Chhattisgarh BJP chief Dharam Lal Kaushik said: "We would like Raman Singh to become the longest serving chief minister in the country so that the state could achieve all-round development."

The record of being the longest serving chief minister in India stand in the name of Jyoti Basu.

Basu was the chief minister of West Bengal for more than 23 years -- from June 21, 1977, to November 5, 2000.

--IANS

hindi/kb/vt