Amit Shah now longest-serving HM; PM Modi says it is just the start

Addressing the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Members of Parliament (MPs) on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Union Home Minister Amit Shah has become the longest-serving incumbent in the ministry, overtaking Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran L K Advani.

 

“It is just the beginning,” the PM said, adding that there is a long way to go for Shah, which led some MPs to speculate the implications of Modi’s statement.

 

Shah took charge of the Ministry of Home Affairs on May 30, 2019, and continued as the country’s home minister in 2024.

 

On Tuesday, Shah became the longest-serving home minister with a tenure of six years and 66 days. He surpassed Congress’ Gobind Ballabh Pant, who was the home minister for 6 years and 65 days between 1955 and 1961. Advani served as home minister for six years and 64 days between 1998 and 2004.

 

Shah became the longest-serving home minister on the sixth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, which Parliament repealed on August 5, 2019.

 

Currently, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who turned 74 in July, is number two in the list of Union Council of Ministers, as he was in the first and second Modi-led NDA governments between 2014 and 2024.

 

After the PM, he was the first Cabinet minister to take oath in 2014, 2019 and 2024. 

 

During Tuesday’s meeting, the MPs felicitated the PM for his "exceptional leadership" in marshalling India's response following the Pahalgam terror attack. A resolution showered praises on the armed forces for their “unmatched courage” and "unwavering commitment" during Operation Sindoor and Operation Mahadev.

 

Singh garlanded Modi with Shah and Union Minister and BJP president JP Nadda by his side.

 

After the meeting ended, Singh led the MPs from the Parliament Library Building, the venue of the meeting, to Parliament House.

 

At the meeting, the PM said members of the BJP and its allies should together, as part of the ruling combine, participate vigorously in various programmes irrespective of their own strength in various regions. At places, the BJP may not be as strong as some of its allies but everyone should join ranks as NDA members, he said. The sources present in the meeting said the broader message of the prime minister was about maintaining cohesion and coordination in the alliance.

 

Leaders of allies joined the BJP leadership in the front row during the meeting. The BJP and its allies are in power in 19 out of 28 states, and are gearing up to fight the assembly polls in Bihar.

 

The NDA Parliamentary Party meeting was last held on July 2, 2024. At Tuesday’s meeting, Modi noted that August 5 was a historic day as Article 370 was abrogated on this day in 2019. The ground-breaking ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya was also held on this day in 2020.

 

The NDA resolution passed at the meeting paid tributes to 26 civilians who lost their lives in the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam by terrorists linked to Pakistan. It also praised Modi for his leadership.

 

The NDA is yet to announce its vice presidential election for which polling is scheduled for September 9, and the last date for filing of nominations is August 21. The BJP is also set to elect its next president.