PM Modi surpasses Indira Gandhi in tenure, becomes 2nd longest-serving PM

PM Modi completes 4,078 uninterrupted days in office today, overtaking Indira Gandhi to become India's second-longest serving Prime Minister, just behind Jawaharlal Nehru

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached a major milestone in Indian political history by completing 4,078 consecutive days in office on July 25. This surpasses former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s record of 4,077 uninterrupted days in power between January 1966 and March 1977. With this achievement, PM Modi becomes the second-longest serving Prime Minister in a single continuous term, behind only India’s first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru. 

This landmark is more than just a number. It reflects a nearly 24-year-long journey of holding public office, first as Gujarat’s Chief Minister and then as the head of the union government.

 

From Gujarat to Delhi: A political journey like no other

PM Modi’s long political innings began in 2001 when he took over as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. He held the post until 2014, winning three consecutive state elections. His leadership in Gujarat brought him national prominence, leading to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) landslide victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. 

 

Since then, he has led the BJP to back-to-back General Election wins in 2019 and 2024, becoming the only non-Congress Prime Minister in India’s history to be elected thrice with a majority. Modi is also the only Indian leader, across Prime Ministers and Chief Ministers, to win six consecutive elections as the face of his party — Gujarat (2002, 2007, 2012) and Lok Sabha (2014, 2019, 2024).

 

A series of historic firsts

PM Modi holds several unique distinctions.

* He is the only Prime Minister born after India’s Independence in 1947.

* He is also the longest-serving Prime Minister from a non-Hindi-speaking state

* He is the longest-serving non-Congress Prime Minister in Indian history.

* He is the first non-Congress leader to complete two full terms and be re-elected with a clear majority

* He is the first PM since Indira Gandhi in 1971 to return to power with a full majority. Only Nehru and now Modi have led their parties to three straight general election victories.

 

Born in Vadnagar, Gujarat, Narendra Modi’s early life saw him helping his father sell tea at a railway station. His rise through the ranks of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and later the BJP is marked by grassroots engagement and a strong command over communication. 

PM Modi is currently on a visit to the United Kingdom and Maldives.