List of Chief Ministers of Gujarat

Chief Minister of Gujarat
Incumbent
Anandiben Patel
since 22 May 2014
Appointer Governor of Gujarat
Inaugural holder Jivraj Narayan Mehta
Formation 1 May 1960

The Chief Minister of Gujarat is the chief executive of the western Indian state of Gujarat. As per the Constitution of India, the governor is a state's de jure head, but de facto executive authority rests with the chief minister. Following elections to the Gujarat Legislative Assembly, the state's governor usually invites the party (or coalition) with a majority of seats to form the government. The governor appoints the chief minister, whose council of ministers are collectively responsible to the assembly. Given that he has the confidence of the assembly, the chief minister's term is for five years and is subject to no term limits.[1]

Since it came into existence on 1 May 1960, being carved out of the Gujarati-speaking districts of Bombay State, 15 people have served as Chief Minister of Gujarat. Many of them have belonged to the Indian National Congress party, including inaugural office-holder Jivraj Narayan Mehta. Gujarat's longest-serving chief minister is Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party, who served for twelve and a half years from 2001 to 2014. After Modi resigned to become the 15th Prime Minister of India, his party-mate Anandiben Patel became the first woman who take oath as Chief Minister of Gujarat on 22 May 2014.

Chief Ministers of Gujarat

Colour key for parties
  Janata Front
  Rashtriya Janata Party
Jivraj Narayan Mehta, Gujarat's first chief minister
Shankersinh Vaghela, the 12th Gujarat chief minister, is currently Leader of the Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly.
Keshubhai Patel, the 10th chief minister
Gujarat's longest-serving chief minister is Narendra Modi, currently the Prime Minister of India.
No[lower-alpha 1] Name Term of office[2] Party[lower-alpha 2] Days in office Assembly[3] Ref
1 Jivraj Narayan Mehta
Amreli		 1 May 1960 3 March 1962 Indian National Congress 1238 days First (1960–61) [4]
3 March 1962 19 September 1963 Second (1962–66) [5]
2 Balwantrai Mehta
–		 19 September 1963 20 September 1965 733 days
3 Hitendra Kanaiyalal Desai
Olpad		 20 September 1965 3 April 1967 2062 days
3 April 1967 12 May 1971 Third (1967–71) [6]
– Vacant[lower-alpha 3]
(President's rule)		 12 May 1971 17 March 1972 N/A Dissolved
4 Ghanshyam Oza
Dehgam		 17 March 1972 17 July 1973 Indian National Congress 488 days Fourth (1972–74) [8]
5 Chimanbhai Patel
Sankheda		 18 July 1973 9 February 1974 207 days
– Vacant[lower-alpha 3]
(President's rule)		 9 February 1974 18 June 1975 N/A Dissolved
6 Babubhai J. Patel
Sabarmati		 18 June 1975 12 March 1976 Janata Front
(INC (O) + BJS + BLD + SP)		 211 days Fifth (1975–80) [9]
– Vacant[lower-alpha 3]
(President's rule)		 12 March 1976 24 December 1976 N/A
7 Madhav Singh Solanki
Bhardran		 24 December 1976 10 April 1977 Indian National Congress 108 days
(6) Babubhai J. Patel
Sabarmati		 11 April 1977 17 February 1980 Janata Party 1042 days
(Total: 1253 days)
– Vacant[lower-alpha 3]
(President's rule)		 17 February 1980 7 June 1980 N/A Dissolved
(7) Madhav Singh Solanki
Bhardran		 7 June 1980 10 March 1985 Indian National Congress 1856 days Sixth (1980–85) [10]
11 March 1985 6 July 1985 Seventh (1985–90) [11]
8 Amarsinh Chaudhary
Vyara (ST)		 6 July 1985 9 December 1989 1618 days
(7) Madhav Singh Solanki
Bhardran		 10 December 1989 4 March 1990 85 days
(Total: 2049 days)
(5) Chimanbhai Patel
Unjha		 4 March 1990 25 October 1990 JD + BJP 1445 days
(Total: 1652 days)		 Eighth (1990–95) [12]
25 October 1990 17 February 1994 JD(G) + INC
9 Chhabildas Mehta
Mahuva		 17 February 1994 14 March 1995 Indian National Congress 391 days
10 Keshubhai Patel
Visavadar		 14 March 1995 21 October 1995 Bharatiya Janata Party 221 days Ninth (1995–98) [13]
11 Suresh Mehta
Mandvi		 21 October 1995 19 September 1996 334 days
– Vacant[lower-alpha 3]
(President's rule)		 19 September 1996 23 October 1996 N/A
12 Shankersinh Vaghela
Radhanpur		 23 October 1996 27 October 1997 Rashtriya Janata Party 370 days
13 Dilip Parikh
Dhandhuka		 28 October 1997 4 March 1998 128 days
(10) Keshubhai Patel
Visavadar		 4 March 1998 6 October 2001 Bharatiya Janata Party 1312 days
(Total: 1533 days)		 Tenth (1998–2002) [14]
14 Narendra Modi
Maninagar		 7 October 2001 22 December 2002 4610 days
22 December 2002 22 December 2007 Eleventh (2002–07) [15]
23 December 2007 20 December 2012 Twelfth (2007–12) [16]
20 December 2012 22 May 2014 Thirteenth (2012–17) [17]
15 Anandiben Patel
Ghatlodiya		 22 May 2014 Incumbent 330 days

Notes

Footnotes
  1. ↑ A number inside brackets indicates that the incumbent has previously held office.
  2. ↑ This column only names the chief minister's party. The state government he headed may have been a complex coalition of several parties and independents; these are not listed here.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 President's rule may be imposed when the "government in a state is not able to function as per the Constitution", which often happens because no party or coalition has a majority in the assembly. When President's rule is in force in a state, its council of ministers stands dissolved. The office of chief minister thus lies vacant, and the administration is taken over by the governor, who functions on behalf of the central government. At times, the legislative assembly also stands dissolved.[7]
References
  1. ↑ Durga Das Basu. Introduction to the Constitution of India. 1960. 20th Edition, 2011 Reprint. pp. 241, 245. LexisNexis Butterworths Wadhwa Nagpur. ISBN 978-81-8038-559-9. Note: although the text talks about Indian state governments in general, it applies for the specific case of Gujarat as well.
  2. ↑ http://www.gujaratassembly.gov.in/pastcm.htm
  3. ↑ http://www.gujaratassembly.gov.in/pastsession.htm
  4. ↑ "Statistical Report on General Election, 1957, to the Legislative Assembly of Bombay". Election Commission of India. Retrieved on 23 May 2014.
  5. ↑ "Key Highlights of General Election, 1962, to the Legislative Assembly of Gujarat". Election Commission of India. Retrieved on 23 May 2014.
  6. ↑ "Key Highlights of General Election, 1967, to the Legislative Assembly of Gujarat". Election Commission of India. Retrieved on 23 May 2014.
  7. ↑ Amberish K. Diwanji. "A dummy's guide to President's rule". Rediff.com. 15 March 2005.
  8. ↑ "Key Highlights of General Election, 1972, to the Legislative Assembly of Gujarat". Election Commission of India. Retrieved on 23 May 2014.
  9. ↑ "Key Highlights of General Election, 1975, to the Legislative Assembly of Gujarat". Election Commission of India. Retrieved on 23 May 2014.
  10. ↑ "Key Highlights of General Election, 1980, to the Legislative Assembly of Gujarat". Election Commission of India. Retrieved on 23 May 2014.
  11. ↑ "Key Highlights of General Election, 1985, to the Legislative Assembly of Gujarat". Election Commission of India. Retrieved on 23 May 2014.
  12. ↑ "Key Highlights of General Election, 1990, to the Legislative Assembly of Gujarat". Election Commission of India. Retrieved on 23 May 2014.
  13. ↑ "Key Highlights of General Election, 1995, to the Legislative Assembly of Gujarat". Election Commission of India. Retrieved on 23 May 2014.
  14. ↑ "Key Highlights of General Election, 1998, to the Legislative Assembly of Gujarat". Election Commission of India. Retrieved on 23 May 2014.
  15. ↑ "Key Highlights of General Election, 2002, to the Legislative Assembly of Gujarat". Election Commission of India. Retrieved on 23 May 2014.
  16. ↑ "Statistical Report on General Election, 2007, to the Legislative Assembly of Gujarat". Election Commission of India. Retrieved on 23 May 2014.
  17. ↑ "Statistical Report on General Election, 2012, to the Legislative Assembly of Gujarat". Election Commission of India. Retrieved on 23 May 2014.