The Union cabinet on Wednesday passed a resolution hailing Narendra Modi for becoming the longest-serving elected Prime Minister in continuous office, going past Jawaharlal Nehru.
The ruling NDA also held a meeting to showcase unity while the BJP went into overdrive to highlight the “milestone”.
In its four-page resolution, the cabinet noted that June 10, 2026, marked a “historic and inspiring milestone” in India’s democratic journey, with Modi completing 4,399 consecutive days in office as an elected Prime Minister. Nehru had served continuously for 4,398 days between 1952, when India’s first general election was held, and 1964, the resolution noted.
However, if Nehru’s term as Prime Minister from 1947 to 1952 is taken into account, his tenure will straddle 6,130 days. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh pointed out that Nehru had got a decisive majority in the 1952, 1957 and 1962 elections, but Modi’s BJP “did not secure even a simple majority by a considerable margin in 2024”.
The BJP resolution described Modi’s achievement as a reflection of “India’s democratic consciousness, public trust and people’s participation”. It also praised Modi’s leadership, saying his “public life had been marked by service, courage and a relentless commitment to nation-building”. Cabinet ministers gave Modi a standing ovation after the resolution was adopted.
Addressing NDA leaders later in the evening, Modi said it was his “supreme privilege” to serve the nation continuously for such a long period.
Modi accused previous Congress governments of pushing the country into “despair and an inferiority complex”. He said one of the NDA government’s biggest achievements over the past 12 years was breaking free from the “vicious cycle” created during Congress rule.
Modi also criticised the Congress for the phrase “Hindu rate of growth”, saying it unfairly linked the party’s economic failures to the country’s majority community. “The responsibility for slow growth belonged to the Congress, but the stigma was attached to the country’s large Hindu population,” he said, arguing that it should instead have been called the “Congress rate of growth”.
Claiming that India had achieved more in the past 12 years than in several decades after Independence, Modi pointed to the country’s economic performance despite global challenges. He said India recorded a growth rate of 7.7 per cent in 2025-26 and urged NDA allies to work harder towards making the country self-reliant.
The NDA meeting was used to showcase the ruling alliance’s unity amid visible strains within the Opposition INDIA bloc. Top NDA leaders passed a resolution moved by Andhra Pradesh chief minister and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu praising Modi’s leadership and gave him a standing ovation.
Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari served jhalmuri to Modi and other NDA leaders at the stall set up at Bharat Mandapam, apparently highlighting the BJP’s electoral success in the state.
“A Jhalmuri break during the NDA meeting at Bharat Mandapam. All our leaders greatly enjoyed this snack!” Modi posted on X.
Several NDA leaders addressed the gathering and lauded Modi’s leadership. “Modi embodies the self-respect of 1.4 billion Indians. Modi stands for the elimination of terrorists. Modi represents the welfare and upliftment of the poor...,” Maharashtra deputy chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde told the meeting.
“He (Modi) is both our anchor and our innovator,” TDP leader Naidu said.
The BJP mounted an extensive social media campaign to mark the milestone, with several Union ministers and party leaders offering special prayers at temples for Modi’s long life and continued leadership. The party’s official X handle also targeted Opposition leaders, sharing clips of past speeches in which they had predicted that Modi’s tenure would end soon.
Trump pat
US President Donald Trump congratulated Modi on the feat in a post on Truth Social. "Congratulations to my friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on becoming India’s longest-serving Prime Minister — And a Great One he is! He is a strong, healthy, and wise man, and will have many years of Greatness and Success ahead of him!" he wrote.