Bihar
Satish Prasad Singh: Bihar's Shortest-Serving CM
- 30 Jul 2025
- 8 min read
Why in News?
As Bihar heads toward the 2025 Assembly Elections, the state’s political history is being revisited, with particular focus on its leaders. Among them, Satish Prasad Singh, the sixth Chief Minister of Bihar, holds the record for the shortest tenure as CM, serving just 4 days.
Key Points
- Shortest Tenure as CM: Satish Prasad Singh created history by serving as Bihar’s Chief Minister for just four days, from 28th January 1968 to 1st February 1968.
- His term was marked by political instability, as he was appointed as a stopgap CM before the rise of B.P. Mandal.
- Political Beginnings: Satish Prasad Singh, born in Khagaria, was deeply influenced by socialist ideologies from an early age.
- His political career was shaped by his dedication to social justice and the farmers' cause.
Longest-serving Chief Minister
- Nitish Kumar is currently the longest-serving Chief Minister in Bihar with a total tenure of over 18 years (as of 2025). He broke the previous record held by Sri Krishna Sinha, who served for 17 years and 52 days.
- Longest Continuous Term: Sri Krishna Sinha still holds this record with 14 years and 314 days of uninterrupted service.
- Nitish Kumar's longest continuous term: 8 years and 239 days (2005-2014, with brief interruption by Jitan Ram Manjhi).
- CM Who Has Taken Maximum Number of Oaths: Nitish Kumar holds the record for taking the maximum number of oaths as Chief Minister (sworn in 9 times as the CM of Bihar).
- Bihar has experienced President's Rule 8 times since its formation as a state (Total 37 terms including 8 periods of President's Rule).
Note
- Under the Government of India Act 1935, the heads of provincial governments in British India were officially designated as "Prime Ministers" or "Premiers" (not Chief Ministers).
- Mohammad Yunus (1 April 1937 – 19 July 1937) was the first Prime Minister of Bihar Province, serving for 109 days under the Muslim Independent Party. Notably, he was the first person to take the oath as 'Prime Minister' in all of British India.
Complete List of Bihar Chief Ministers (1947-2025)
|
S. No. |
Name |
Tenure |
Political Party/Alliance |
|
1 |
Sri Krishna Sinha |
15 Aug 1947– 31 Jan 1961 |
Indian National Congress |
|
2 |
Deep Narayan Singh |
1 Feb 1961 – 18 Feb 1961 |
Indian National Congress |
|
3 |
Binodanand Jha |
18 Feb 1961 – 2 Oct 1963 |
Indian National Congress |
|
4 |
Krishna Ballabh Sahay |
2 Oct 1963 – 5 Mar 1967 |
Indian National Congress |
|
5 |
Mahamaya Prasad Sinha |
5 Mar 1967 – 28 Jan 1968 |
Jana Kranti Dal |
|
6 |
Satish Prasad Singh |
28 Jan 1968 – 1 Feb 1968 |
Shoshit Dal |
|
7 |
Bindeshwari Prasad Mandal (B.P. Mandal) |
1 Feb 1968 – 22 Mar 1968 |
Shoshit Dal |
|
— |
President's Rule |
29 Jun 1968 – 26 Feb 1969 |
— |
|
8 |
Harihar Singh |
26 Feb 1969 – 22 Jun 1969 |
Indian National Congress |
|
9 |
Bhola Paswan Shastri |
22 Jun 1969 – 4 Jul 1969 |
Indian National Congress |
|
— |
President's Rule |
4 Jul 1969 – 16 Feb 1970 |
— |
|
10 |
Daroga Prasad Rai |
16 Feb 1970 – 22 Dec 1970 |
Indian National Congress |
|
11 |
Karpoori Thakur |
22 Dec 1970 – 2 Jun 1971 |
Samyukta Socialist Party |
|
12 |
Bhola Paswan Shastri |
2 Jun 1971 – 9 Jan 1972 |
Indian National Congress |
|
— |
President's Rule |
9 Jan 1972 – 19 Mar 1972 |
— |
|
13 |
Kedar Pandey |
19 Mar 1972 – 2 Jul 1973 |
Indian National Congress |
|
14 |
Abdul Gafoor |
2 Jul 1973 – 11 Apr 1975 |
Indian National Congress |
|
15 |
Jagannath Mishra |
11 Apr 1975 – 30 Apr 1977 |
Indian National Congress |
|
— |
President's Rule |
30 Apr 1977 – 24 Jun 1977 |
— |
|
16 |
Karpoori Thakur |
24 Jun 1977 – 21 Apr 1979 |
Janata Party |
|
17 |
Ram Sundar Das |
21 Apr 1979 – 17 Feb 1980 |
Janata Party (Secular) |
|
— |
President's Rule |
17 Feb 1980 – 8 Jun 1980 |
— |
|
18 |
Jagannath Mishra |
8 Jun 1980 – 14 Aug 1983 |
Indian National Congress |
|
19 |
Chandrashekhar Singh |
14 Aug 1983 – 12 Mar 1985 |
Indian National Congress |
|
20 |
Bindeshwari Dubey |
12 Mar 1985 – 13 Feb 1988 |
Indian National Congress |
|
21 |
Bhagwat Jha Azad |
14 Feb 1988 – 10 Mar 1989 |
Indian National Congress |
|
22 |
Satyendra Narayan Sinha |
11 Mar 1989 – 6 Dec 1989 |
Indian National Congress |
|
23 |
Jagannath Mishra |
6 Dec 1989 – 10 Mar 1990 |
Indian National Congress |
|
24 |
Lalu Prasad Yadav |
10 Mar 1990 – 28 Mar 1995 |
Janata Dal |
|
— |
President's Rule |
28 Mar 1995 – 5 Apr 1995 |
— |
|
25 |
Lalu Prasad Yadav |
5 Apr 1995 – 25 Jul 1997 |
Janata Dal / Rashtriya Janata Dal |
|
26 |
Rabri Devi |
25 Jul 1997 – 11 Feb 1999 |
Rashtriya Janata Dal |
|
— |
President's Rule |
11 Feb 1999 – 9 Mar 1999 |
— |
|
27 |
Rabri Devi |
9 Mar 1999 – 2 Mar 2000 |
Rashtriya Janata Dal |
|
28 |
Nitish Kumar |
3 Mar 2000 – 10 Mar 2000 |
Samata Party |
|
29 |
Rabri Devi |
11 Mar 2000 – 6 Mar 2005 |
Rashtriya Janata Dal |
|
— |
President's Rule |
7 Mar 2005 – 24 Nov 2005 |
— |
|
30 |
Nitish Kumar |
24 Nov 2005 – 17 May 2014 |
Janata Dal (United) |
|
31 |
Jitan Ram Manjhi |
20 May 2014 – 22 Feb 2015 |
Janata Dal (United) |
|
32 |
Nitish Kumar |
22 Feb 2015 – 20 Nov 2015 |
Janata Dal (United) |
|
33 |
Nitish Kumar |
20 Nov 2015 – 26 Jul 2017 |
Janata Dal (United) - Mahagathbandhan |
|
34 |
Nitish Kumar |
27 Jul 2017 – 16 Nov 2020 |
Janata Dal (United) - NDA |
|
35 |
Nitish Kumar |
16 Nov 2020 – 9 Aug 2022 |
Janata Dal (United) - NDA |
|
36 |
Nitish Kumar |
10 Aug 2022 – 28 Jan 2024 |
Janata Dal (United) - Mahagathbandhan |
|
37 |
Nitish Kumar |
28 Jan 2024 – Present |
Janata Dal (United) - NDA |
