List of Chief Ministers (CM) in India

About Chief Ministers

Chief Minister of a state of India is the ‘elected’ head of the government and the executive authority lies with the Chief Minister. As per the constitution, A Governor is the head of the state, however, Chief Minister is the ‘de facto’ head of that particular state. There are 28 states in India and 9 union territories. Of these 9 union territories, 2 have their own state legislative assemblies (Delhi and Puducherry). Therefore, there are 30 chief ministers in India. The status of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly is not yet decided, therefore it remains a full union territory as of now.

According to the Indian Constitution, in the everyday administration, the CM is assisted by the council of ministers, which consists of cabinet ministers, deputy ministers, and others. The CM is appointed by and sworn in by the Governor.

How is the Chief Minister Elected?

Any state in India undergoes elections every five years to elect the government of the state. Following the elections of the state legislative assembly which is more commonly known as Vidhan Sabha, the governor invites the party which has secured the highest number of seats in the election to form a government. Upon satisfying the majority number criteria, that party can form government in the state. If no party has secured the majority mark, a coalition of various parties can form a government in the state. This model is based on the Westminister System.

The term of the chief minister is parallel with the term of the legislative assembly- five years, subject to the fulfillment of the majority number criteria. If the incumbent government falls short of a majority, the term of the Chief Minister ends before five years.

Power and Authority of Chief Minister

The powers and functions enjoyed by the Chief Minister are similar to those of the Prime Minister of India, within a restricted jurisdiction of a state. Some of these are mentioned below:

The CM holds the executive powers of the state government. He/she has the power to form his council of ministers, choosing members of his party for particular ministries within the working of the state. The core council of ministers is called the Cabinet, members of which are decided by the Chief Minister. The various departments are allotted to various ministers by the CM. Ministers are removed from their portfolios if the CM does not like his/her performance.

• The CM is the link between the Governor and the council of ministers. He is required to communicate to the Governor the workings of the various wings of the government. Similarly, the advice and suggestions of the Governor are communicated to the council of ministers by the CM.
• The CM has a pivotal role in the financial matters of a state, including the budget, basic infrastructural and developmental priorities of the state, financial planning and economic growth of the state and others.
• The Chief Minister is the chief spokesperson of the government of a state. With the help of media, the CM communicates all policies and decisions to the people of the state. The CM holds regular or periodic press conferences wherein he/she makes the citizens of a state aware of the functioning of the government.

All major decisions in the state are taken by the CM with the support of the council of ministers. Since the CM is the 'executive' head of the state, the technological, infrastructural and socio-economic development rests solely within his/her duty and jurisdiction. The state government is financially aided by the Centre, in terms of resources and materials.

Term of Office and Retirement Age

The tenure of CM is for five years when the state legislative assembly is dissolved and fresh elections are held in the Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly). However, the tenure of the Chief Minister can be terminated by the governor before the period of five years, when the majority party/alliance loses the confidence vote in the state legislative assembly. The Chief Minister can also resign from his or her post before the completion of the term.

There is no age for the retirement of the Chief Minister. Although the minimum age for becoming the Chief Minister is 25 years, there is no upper age limit till when he or she can serve the post of a Chief Minister.

Salary of Chief Minister

Salary of Chief Minister The salary of Chief Minister of a state in India, like that of the prime minister of the country, is accompanied by a number of other allowances, besides the basic pay, such as constituency allowances, sumptuary allowances (tax-free) and daily allowances. The chief ministers are also entitled to receive a pension after the expiry of their term.

The salary of the CM is decided by the respective state legislatures in the country, as per Article 164 of the Indian Constitution. Thus it varies from one state to another.

As of now, the Chief Minister of Telangana receives the highest salary amongst the other chief ministers. He gets Rs. 4,10,000 as a salary per month. The State of Telangana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh are paying more salary to Chief Ministers than the salary of State Governor.

Facilities availed by the Chief Minister

The facilities given to the Chief Minister of a state can include medical facilities, residential facilities, reimbursement of electricity and phone charges, traveling facilities and many more. The amount allotted for each of these facilities to the Chief Minister varies from one state to another, as these are specifically detailed in the respective state legislatures of the country.

• Medical facilities: In accordance with the Medical Attendance Rules, the Chief Minister is entitled to avail free medical treatment, reimbursement and free accommodation in all hospitals run by the Government and other referral hospitals declared by the government.
• Residence facilities: The Chief Minister is entitled to a rent-free and well-furnished residence. The amount, however, can vary in different states. In case, the Chief Minister decides to stay in his or her own house, the value of the house rental is paid to the Chief Minister.





• Reimbursement of electricity and phone charges: The Chief Minister is entitled to a fixed amount of money as reimbursement against phone call charges made in a month. A fixed quantity of electricity units are allotted free of cost to the Chief Minister, for the monthly consumption of electricity.
• Traveling facilities: The Chief Minister is allotted a fixed amount of money for his or her travel expenses within the jurisdiction of the country, in a year. This amount also varies, as outlined in Article 164 of the Indian Constitution. The Chief Minister’s family members are also entitled to a certain amount for free traveling in a year.

According to the Constitution of India, the Chief Minister of a state is entitled to a certain amount of pension after his or her retirement. However, the amount varies in the respective state legislatures. In the case of death of the Chief Minister, his or her spouse is entitled to pension too.

Interesting Facts about Chief Ministers

• The first woman Chief Minister in the history of independent India was Sucheta Kriplani of the Indian National Congress (INC). She served the post of the CM of Uttar Pradesh from 1963 to 1967. Closely following her was Nandini Satpathy who governed Odisha as the CM from 1972 to 1976.
• The first Dalit Chief Minister of any Indian state was Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Mayawati also had a significant record of being one of the longest-serving Chief Ministers of UP, being in office for a total of 2554 days.
• Jyoti Basu of the CPI (M) is the longest-serving Chief Minister of any state in India. He remained the CM of West Bengal from 1977 to 2000, being in power for 8539 days. It was under his regime that the historic land reform movement 'Operation Barga' was carried out throughout rural West Bengal, a model soon replicated in other parts of the country.
• Nadendla Bhaskara Rao has served the shortest-term as a Chief Minister. He remained the CM of Andhra Pradesh for a very brief period of only 31 days in 1984.
• In a more recent instance, Arvind Kejriwal of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) functioned as CM of Delhi only for 49 days, after which he resigned over the non-passage of anti-graft legislation, the Jan Lokpal Bill.
• The only female Chief Minister to lead her government for three consecutive terms in any state of independent India is Sheila Dikshit of the INC. Dikshit remained the CM of Delhi for a continuous term from 1998 to 2013.
• The only Chief Minister of a state in India to have been blamed for not taking decisive action against communal riots in the country is Narendra Modi, the former Chief Minister of Gujarat and the incumbent Prime Minister of India. Though, he was given a clean chit by the Special Investigative Team (SIT) in 2007.
• The first Chief Minister who died in office was C N Annadurai from Tamil Nadu.
• Janaki Ramachandran of AIADMK is the only woman Chief Minister to have remained in office for a mere term of 23 days.
• J Jayalalitha of the AIADMK, the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, was a popular actress in the film industry, before she joined politics.
• Mamata Banerjee, the present CM of West Bengal and the TMC supremo, is the only leader who could oust the 34 years of Left Front rule in the state. She remains, to this day, one of the consistent critics of the Left Front.
• The first Muslim woman to become the Chief Minister of any state in India is Syeda Anwara Taimur. A Congress leader, she remained CM of the north-eastern state of Assam, from December 1980 to June 1981.