Modi to surpass Nehru as India’s longest-serving elected PM on June 10

Come June 10, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will become India’s longest-serving democratically elected prime minister, surpassing the record of Jawaharlal Nehru, the country's first prime minister.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, who was sworn in as the PM for the first time on May 26, 2014, will complete 4,399 consecutive days in office on June 10. Nehru served 4,398 days between May 13, 1952, when he took oath after the first general elections held in 1952, till his death on May 27, 1964.

In terms of years, Nehru still leads

In terms of years, though, Nehru still leads with 17 years, between 1947 and 1964, serving five years before the first general polls. Modi recently completed 12 years in office.

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In July last year, Modi overtook another former prime minister, Indira Gandhi, who had served continuously for 4,077 days between January 24, 1966, and March 24, 1977.

Longest-serving non-Congress PM

Modi is the first prime minister who was born after Independence, is the longest-serving non-Congress prime minister and also the longest-serving PM from a non-Hindi-speaking state.

He is also the only non-Congress leader to have completed two full terms in office and been re-elected twice with a majority. He is also the first incumbent prime minister since Indira in 1971 to return to power with a full majority.

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The 2024 general election victory saw Modi equal Nehru’s feat of winning three consecutive national elections.

Also, Modi is the only leader in India who has won six consecutive major elections – three as the chief minister of Gujarat (2002, 2007 and 2012) and the prime minister (2014, 2019 and 2024).