Narendra Modi Surpasses Indira Gandhi to Become India’s Second-Longest Serving Prime Minister

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday became India’s second-longest serving Prime Minister in consecutive terms, surpassing former PM Indira Gandhi’s uninterrupted tenure. With this milestone, Modi has completed 4,078 consecutive days in office since first assuming the post on May 26, 2014.

At 74 years old, Modi is the first Prime Minister born in Independent India and now trails only Jawaharlal Nehru, who served as the country’s first and longest-serving Prime Minister from August 15, 1947 to May 27, 1964 — a total of 16 years and 286 days.

Indira Gandhi held office continuously from January 24, 1966 to March 24, 1977, a tenure of 4,077 days, before returning for a second term in 1980 until her assassination in 1984.   

Modi’s Rise to Political Longevity

Narendra Modi, a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), entered national politics after serving as Gujarat’s longest-serving Chief Minister from 2001 to 2014. In 2014, the BJP stormed to power with Modi as its prime ministerial face, securing a full majority with 272 seats in the Lok Sabha. The party bettered its performance in 2019 with 303 seats.

Although the BJP did not achieve a simple majority in the 2024 general elections, it emerged as the single-largest party and formed the government with the support of its NDA allies, enabling Modi to take oath for a third consecutive term.

Notable Firsts

With this milestone, Modi becomes:

• The first and only non-Congress Prime Minister to complete two full terms.
  
• The only non-Congress leader to be re-elected three times.
  
• The first sitting PM since Indira Gandhi (1971) to return to power with a majority.
  
• The longest-serving non-Congress PM in Indian history.

Legacy and Leadership

Modi’s tenure has been marked by key policy reforms, infrastructure development, global diplomacy, digital innovation, and national security initiatives. His political journey reflects a blend of grassroots connect and a centralised leadership approach that has reshaped the BJP’s national narrative.

With this new record, Modi further cements his legacy as one of India’s most enduring political leaders, continuing to shape the country’s domestic and international trajectory well into his third term.