Modi breaks Indira's feat with unbroken PM stint

New Delhi: Narendra Modi on Friday overtook Indira Gandhi to become the second longest serving prime minister of India in consecutive terms.

Modi, officials noted, completed 4,078 days in office on Friday. Gandhi was in the office in an unbroken stint for 4,077 days, from January 24, 1966, to March 24, 1977.

The record for the unbroken stint is held by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister. Both Modi and Nehru led their respective parties to victory in three consecutive Lok Sabha elections.

Nehru, who remained at the helm from August 15, 1947, till his death on May 27, 1964, had an uninterrupted tenure of 6,130 days.

As an elected head of a government, in state and at the Centre, Modi already enjoys the longest stint.

He became Gujarat chief minister in 2001 and remained in office before taking over as prime minister in 2014. Modi, the first prime minister born after Independence, is also the longest serving non-Congress PM. The officials noted that the Gujarat-born leader is the only non-Congress leader to complete two full terms as the head of the central government.

"Modi is the only leader in India, among all PMs and CMs, to win six consecutive elections as the leader of a party -- Gujarat assembly polls in 2002, 2007 and 2012, and the national elections in 2014, 2019, and 2024," an official said. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath congratulated Modi for completing 4,078 days in office, and termed it as a "historic achievement".

Adityanath said, "The 4,078 days of unbroken service to the nation by the respected

Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji has become a timeless sadhana of duty. Every moment, every decision of yours has been dedicated to the glory of Mother India."

"This journey dedicated to the achievement of the concept of 'Developed India-Self-reliant India' is the victory story of democracy, in which the dignity of the poor and the prestige of the nation was achieved. On behalf of 25 crore citizens of Uttar Pradesh, hearty congratulations to you, Prime Minister ji, on this historic achievement!" he said.