The Union Cabinet on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, adopted a resolution congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi on completing 25 years as the head of an elected government, a milestone he reached on Wednesday, 7 October.
The milestone
Modi was sworn in as Chief Minister of Gujarat on 7 October 2001 and held that office for more than twelve years. He became Prime Minister on 26 May 2014 and has been in office since, winning a third term in 2024. Taken together, the two tenures make 25 unbroken years in charge of a government. In March 2026 he was reported to have become the longest-serving elected head of government in India.
What the resolution says
According to reports by ANI and the Deccan Herald, the resolution described the milestone as a significant moment in contemporary Indian politics and governance, and listed what the government regards as the main achievements of the period:
- Welfare: more than 60 crore Jan Dhan bank accounts; transfers of over Rs 4 lakh crore to farmers under PM-KISAN; the Lakhpati Didi programme for women’s self-help groups; and the PM-JANMAN scheme for particularly vulnerable tribal groups.
- Legislation: the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which reserves one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women.
- Economy: a rise in public capital expenditure from about Rs 2 lakh crore to more than Rs 12 lakh crore a year, and growth in electronics manufacturing.
- Security: the removal of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir; One Rank One Pension; the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff; the 2016 strikes across the Line of Control; the 2019 Balakot air strikes; and Operation Sindoor in May 2025.
The political context
The resolution was adopted on the same day that opposition MPs were detained in Delhi during a march to the Election Commission, and at a time of sharp disagreement between the government and the opposition over the revision of electoral rolls. Opposition parties have long disputed the government’s account of its record, particularly on jobs, prices and the independence of institutions.
Background
Born in Vadnagar in 1950, Modi worked for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s organisation before being sent to Gujarat as Chief Minister in 2001, without having previously held elected office. He led the BJP to majorities in the Lok Sabha elections of 2014 and 2019 and returned to office at the head of a coalition in 2024.
Details of the resolution are as reported by ANI, the Deccan Herald and DD India.