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Timeline

79 years at a glance

Every stint in office on one scale, from independence to today. Bar length is time in office; colour is party.

Prime ministers by year

  • Congress
  • BJP
  • Janata Party
  • Janata Party (Secular)
  • Janata Dal
  • Samajwadi Janata Party

Founding years 1947–1966

  1. Jawaharlal Nehru 1947–1964 1947–1964, Indian National Congress, 6,130 days
  2. Gulzarilal Nanda (acting) 1964 1964, Indian National Congress, 13 days
  3. Lal Bahadur Shastri 1964–1966 1964–1966, Indian National Congress, 581 days
  4. Gulzarilal Nanda (acting) 1966 1966, Indian National Congress, 13 days

Indira & the Janata years 1966–1984

  1. Indira Gandhi 1966–1977 1966–1977, Indian National Congress, 4,077 days
  2. Morarji Desai 1977–1979 1977–1979, Janata Party, 856 days
  3. Charan Singh 1979–1980 1979–1980, Janata Party (Secular), 170 days
  4. Indira Gandhi 1980–1984 1980–1984, Indian National Congress, 1,752 days

Rajiv to the coalitions 1984–1998

  1. Rajiv Gandhi 1984–1989 1984–1989, Indian National Congress, 1,858 days
  2. V. P. Singh 1989–1990 1989–1990, Janata Dal, 343 days
  3. Chandra Shekhar 1990–1991 1990–1991, Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya), 223 days
  4. P. V. Narasimha Rao 1991–1996 1991–1996, Indian National Congress, 1,791 days
  5. Atal Bihari Vajpayee 1996 1996, Bharatiya Janata Party, 16 days
  6. H. D. Deve Gowda 1996–1997 1996–1997, Janata Dal, 324 days
  7. Inder Kumar Gujral 1997–1998 1997–1998, Janata Dal, 332 days

Vajpayee to today 1998–present

  1. Atal Bihari Vajpayee 1998–2004 1998–2004, Bharatiya Janata Party, 2,256 days
  2. Manmohan Singh 2004–2014 2004–2014, Indian National Congress, 3,656 days
  3. Narendra Modi 2014–present 2014–present, Bharatiya Janata Party, 4,551 days