Modi becomes India’s longest continuously serving elected PM
On the achievement of breaking Nehru's record, Modi received warm congratulatory messages from some world leaders
Narendra Modi on Wednesday (June 10) became India's longest continuously serving elected Prime Minister, with an unbroken tenure of 4,399 days in office, surpassing the record of the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Prime Minister Modi has been in office for over 12 years, since 2014. He took oath as Prime Minister for the first time on May 26, 2014. Subsquently he returned for his second term in 2019, and then for his third and current stint in 2024.
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Nehru, who was first elected to the post in 1952, took the oath of office on May 13 and served until May 27, 1964 – a tenure of 4,398 days. However, Nehru still holds the record for being India's longest-serving Prime Minister, with 16 years and 286 days between 1947 and 1964.
Nehru’s stint
Nehru's previous stint from 1947-52 was as head of an interim government, as elections were yet to be institutionalised and held.
Indira Gandhi had a fractured tenure as prime minister for 14 years from 1966 to 1984. She was voted out as prime minister in the 1977 general elections held after the lifting of Emergency.
World leaders hail Modi
On the achievement, Modi received warm congratulatory messages from some world leaders.
Leaders from across the globe hailed Prime Minister Modi's "transformative governance", his advocacy for the Global South and his vision of an inclusive and economically dynamic India, an official statement said.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Disaanayake, through a letter, conveyed warm congratulations of the government and people of Sri Lanka to Prime Minister Modi.
"This milestone is a testament not only to your years in office but also to the trust and confidence that the people of the world's largest democracy have repeatedly placed in your leadership," Dissanayake said.
‘Amazing feat’
Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape, in a personal video message, described Prime Minister Modi as "a role model and an example of leadership".
"Lifting over 200 million people out of poverty to good life today is an amazing feat," he said.
Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Kamla Persad-Bissessar also congratulated PM Modi on this occasion, noting that under his leadership, India has evolved as a leading voice on global matters.
She highlighted Modi's journey from humble beginnings to leading a nation of 1.4 billion people across three terms, and underscored India's significant achievements in foreign policy, economic growth, infrastructure and socio-economic development.
‘Nothing short of transformational’
US Senator John Cornyn, the co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, greeted Modi and said his tenure has been "nothing short of transformational".
"Congratulations to Prime Minister @narendramodi on becoming India's longest-serving elected Prime Minister — 4,399 days of leadership earned through the trust of 1.4 billion people across three democratic mandates," Cornyn, the Republican Senator from Texas, said in a post on X.
"From lifting 250 million out of poverty to making India the world's fastest-growing major economy, PM Modi's tenure has been nothing short of transformational. The US-India partnership has never been stronger," Cornyn said.