Who is the Longest Serving Chief Minister of Delhi, Check Here!

Since its inception, Delhi has a total of eight chief ministers. The first was Chaudhary Brahm Prakash, who served from 1952 to 1955.

Over the years, Delhi has seen several leaders in charge, each leading to the development of the city. Delhi’s longest-serving chief minister is Sheila Dikshit. From 1998 to 2013, she served for more than 15 years.

Sheila Dikshit played a crucial role in modernizing Delhi. Her tenure has achieved major infrastructure development, better public transport and improved governance. Under her leadership, the Delhi Metro has expanded, roads have improved, and public services have become more efficient.

In this article, we will take a closer look at the history of the Chief Minister of Delhi. We will explore their contributions and understand how leadership shapes capital.

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List of all chief ministers in Delhi so far

According to current data and reports, there are a total of 8 New Delhi Chief Ministers. The list includes:

No.

Name

The term begins

End of terminology

period

Party

1

Brahm Prakash

March 17, 1952

February 12, 1955

2 years, 332 days

National Congress of India

2

Gurmukh Nihal Singh

February 12, 1955

November 1, 1956

1 year, 263 days

National Congress of India

Office abolishment

November 1, 1956

December 1, 1993

3

Madan Lal Khurana

December 2, 1993

February 26, 1996

2 years, 86 days

Bharatiya Janata Party

4

Sahib Singh Verma

February 26, 1996

October 12, 1998

2 years 228 days

Bharatiya Janata Party

5

Sushma Swaraj

October 12, 1998

December 3, 1998

52 days

Bharatiya Janata Party

6

Sheila Dikshit

December 3, 1998

December 28, 2013

15 years 25 days

National Congress of India

7

Arvind Kejriwal

December 28, 2013

February 14, 2014

48 days

AAM AADMI Party

Vacant (Presidential rule)

February 14, 2014

February 14, 2015

1 year, 0 days

7

Arvind Kejriwal

February 14, 2015

September 21, 2024

9 years 218 days

AAM AADMI Party

8

Atishi Marlena

September 21, 2024

February 9, 2025

142 days

AAM AADMI Party

9

TBA

TBA

Bharatiya Janata Party

Sheila Dikshit: Delhi’s longest serving chief minister

Source: Navbharat now

Sheila Dikshit (1938-2019) is an Indian politician who served as Delhi’s longest-serving chief minister for 15 years, starting in 19981.

Early life and career:

  • Born on March 31, 1938, Sheila Kapoor.
  • She served as president of the Young Women’s Association in the early 1970s and helped establish the Women’s Hotel in Delhi.
  • She also served as secretary of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.

Political Career:

  • In 1984, Rajiv Gandhi chose Dikshit to participate in his ministerial committee.
  • Represented the Kannauj Parliamentary Constituency in Uttar Pradesh between 1984 and 1989.
  • He served as a member of the MP for Lok Sabha’s Estimation Committee.
  • The Executive Committee commemorates the forty years of independence of India and the centenary of Jawaharlal Nehru.
  • From 1984 to 1989, represented India in the United Nations status of women.
  • From 1986 to 1989, he served as Minister of Trade Unions, Minister of Congress and Chief of State in the Office of the Prime Minister.
  • In 1990, she and 82 colleagues were sentenced to 23 days in prison for protesting against the atrocities of women in Uttar Pradesh.
  • She was defeated by Lal Bihari Tiwari of the Bharatiya Janata party in the 1998 parliamentary elections.
  • Later in 1998, she became Chief Minister of Delhi, where she held the position until 2013.
  • Dikshit represents the Gole Market Parliament constituencies elected in 1998 and 2003 and the New Delhi constituency in 2008.
  • In the 2013 Delhi Legislative Assembly election, she lost to Arvind Kejriwal. She resigned on December 8, 2013 as Chief Minister of Careers until the new government was sworn in on December 28, 2013.
  • He was appointed governor of Kerala in March 2014 but resigned five months later.
  • In 2017, she withdrew the nomination for the chief ministerial candidate for the National Assembly of India in the Legislative Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.
  • He appointed the chairman of the Delhi State Parliament Committee on January 10, 2019 and served until his death in July of the same year.
  • She competes for the 2019 Lok Sabha election and is a candidate for the Indian National Assembly in Northeast Delhi constituency, but second only to the Manoj Tiwari of Bharatiya Janata party.

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Term of office as Chief Minister of Delhi:

  • Sheila Dikshit served three terms as Chief Minister of Delhi from 1998 to 2013.
  • She led the National Congress of India to three consecutive election victories.
  • By building roads and overpasses, improving public transport and helping reduce pollution, transforming Delhi into a “world-class city”.
  • Key contributions include the introduction of CNG-driven public buses, expansion of Delhi Metro, construction of nearly 90 overpasses, and the development of education and health infrastructure.
  • Her government purchased about 5,500 buses, making a significant contribution to public transportation.
  • Despite her resistance, she decided to transfer autopilots and buses to CNG to improve the air quality in the city.

die:

  • Sheila Dikshit died on July 20, 2019 at the age of 81 due to cardiac arrest.
  • Condolences were expressed by politicians including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind.
  • She was praised for her contribution to Delhi’s development and for her ability to strike a balance between the central and state governments.

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What is Sheila Dikshit’s main achievement as Chief Minister of Delhi?

As Chief Minister of Delhi from 1998 to 2013, Sheila Dikshit transformed Delhi into a “world-class city” through numerous infrastructure projects and initiatives 134.

Key achievements:

Infrastructure Development: Projects initiated by Dikshit, such as the expansion of the Delhi Metro and the construction of overpasses and underground access to reduce traffic.

During her tenure, nearly 65 overpasses were built. Road infrastructure projects include the Barahpullah elevated corridor, the AIIMS flyover and the ITO flyover. The iconic bridge project is one of her favorites.

Public Transport: She promotes environmentally friendly public transport, including CNG-based buses, giving Delhi the largest CNG bus fleet in the world.

Her government purchased about 5,500 buses, greatly improving public transportation. The first line of the Delhi Metro opened between Shahadala and Tis Hazari in 2002, revolutionizing the city’s commute.

Environmental Initiative: Dikshit is committed to improving the environment by transferring automatic-rickshaws and buses to CNG to improve air quality. She launched green programs such as the “Delhi Metro Green Drive” and the “Green Delhi Delhi” campaign.

Women’s Initiative: Dikshit initiates programs for women and girls, such as “Stre Shakti”, to address the needs of weaker women by providing better health, nutrition, education, income and legal protection.

The LADLI scheme authorizes birth in Delhi and promotes its birth registration.

Improved basic services: She improved infrastructure, water supply and power distribution in Delhi.

Sonia Vihar’s treatment plant was built to bring water from the Ganges Canal to East Delhi. Private players are welcome to generate power and produce, resulting in a power surplus in Delhi and ending the power cut.

Others: Modernize IGI airports and introduce street landscapes. The “Bhagidari” program was implemented as the city’s first public participation governance model.

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in conclusion

In short, Sheila Dikshit has the record of serving as Delhi’s longest-serving Chief Minister, with a term of 15 years and 25 days.

Arvind Kejriwal followed closely with nine years and 219 consecutive days of service, with a total term of nine years and 267 days.

Other notable chief ministers include Brahm Prakash, who worked for 2 years and 228 days and Sahib Singh Verma. Madan Lal Khurana completed 2 years and 86 days of work, while Gurmukh Nihal Singh worked 1 year and 263 days of work.

Atishi Marlena’s tenure lasted for 142 days, while Sushma Swaraj’s tenure lasted for only 52 days.

In addition, Delhi has experienced a year of presidential rule, while the Chief Minister’s Office has been abolished for 37 years and 30 days. This historical timeline highlights the political transformation and leadership transition in Delhi over the past decades.