List of Bihar's CM: Bihar, located in eastern India, is known for its rich history, culture, and political significance. It has played a crucial role in shaping India's past, being home to ancient universities like Nalanda and significant movements during the freedom struggle. The state has seen multiple leaders take charge since its formation, each contributing to its development. Since 1946, Bihar has had 23 individuals serve as chief ministers. Previously, Nitish Kumar was elected as the Chief Minister of Bihar, who took his office in November 2020 following the state assembly elections, which was his seventh time taking the oath.
However, Nitish Kumar has taken the oath as Chief Minister multiple times since then due to changing political alliances. He began his current term as Chief Minister on January 28, 2024, when he formed a new government by re-joining the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). In this article, we will take a detailed look at the list of chief ministers who have shaped Bihar’s governance over the years.
Check Out| List of Deputy Chief Ministers of Bihar from 1946 to 2025: Tenure and Party Name
List of Chief Ministers of Bihar
From 1947 till now, Bihar has seen a total of 23 people become the chief ministers of the state. Here's the complete list of the CMs of Bihar. The list includes:
| Chief Minister | Term of Office | Total No. of Days | Election (Term) |
| Shri Krishna Sinha | 15 August 1947 – 31 January 1961 | 13 years, 169 days | 1946 (Interim), 1952 (1st), 1957 (3rd) |
| Deep Narayan Singh | 1 February 1961 – 18 February 1961 | 17 days | – |
| Binodanand Jha | 18 February 1961 – 2 October 1963 | 2 years, 226 days | 1962 (3rd) |
| Krishna Ballabh Sahay | 2 October 1963 – 5 March 1967 | 3 years, 154 days | – |
| Mahamaya Prasad Sinha | 5 March 1967 – 28 January 1968 | 329 days | 1967 (4th) |
| Satish Prasad Singh | 28 January 1968 – 1 February 1968 | 4 days | – |
| B. P. Mandal | 1 February 1968 – 22 March 1968 | 50 days | – |
| Bhola Paswan Shastri | 22 March 1968 – 29 June 1968 | 99 days | – |
| President's rule was imposed during the period (29 June 1968 – 26 February 1969) | |||
| Harihar Singh | 26 February 1969 – 22 June 1969 | 116 days | 1969 (5th) |
| Bhola Paswan Shastri | 22 June 1969 – 4 July 1969 | 12 days | – |
| President's rule was imposed during the period (6 July 1969 – 16 February 1970) | |||
| Daroga Prasad Rai | 16 February 1970 – 22 December 1970 | 309 days | – (5th) |
| Karpoori Thakur | 22 December 1970 – 2 June 1971 | 162 days | – |
| Bhola Paswan Shastri | 2 June 1971 – 9 January 1972 | 221 days | – |
| President's rule was imposed during the period (9 January – 19 March 1972) | |||
| Kedar Pandey | 19 March 1972 – 2 July 1973 | 1 year, 105 days | 1972 (6th) |
| Abdul Ghafoor | 2 July 1973 – 11 April 1975 | 1 year, 283 days | – |
| Jagannath Mishra | 11 April 1975 – 30 April 1977 | 2 years, 19 days | – |
| President's rule was imposed during the period (30 April – 24 June 1977) | |||
| Karpoori Thakur | 24 June 1977 – 21 April 1979 | 1 year, 301 days | 1977 (7th) |
| Ram Sundar Das | 21 April 1979 – 17 February 1980 | 302 days | – |
| President's rule was imposed during the period (14 February – 8 June 1980) | |||
| Jagannath Mishra | 8 June 1980 – 14 August 1983 | 3 years, 67 days | 1980 (8th) |
| Chandrashekhar Singh | 14 August 1983 – 12 March 1985 | 1 year, 210 days | – |
| Bindeshwari Dubey | 12 March 1985 – 13 February 1988 | 2 years, 338 days | 1985 (9th) |
| Bhagwat Jha Azad | 13 February 1988 – 10 March 1989 | 1 year, 25 days | – |
| Satyendra Narayan Sinha | 11 March 1989 – 6 December 1989 | 270 days | – |
| Jagannath Mishra | 6 December 1989 – 10 March 1990 | 94 days | – |
| Lalu Prasad Yadav | 10 March 1990 – 28 March 1995 | 5 years, 18 days | 1990 (10th) |
| President's rule was imposed during the period (28 March – 4 April 1995) | |||
| Lalu Prasad Yadav | 4 April 1995 – 25 July 1997 | 2 years, 112 days | 1995 (11th) |
| Rabri Devi | 25 July 1997 – 11 February 1999 | 1 year, 201 days | – |
| President's rule was imposed during the period (11 February – 9 March 1999) | |||
| Rabri Devi | 9 March 1999 – 2 March 2000 | 359 days | – (11th) |
| Nitish Kumar | 3 March 2000 – 10 March 2000 | 7 days | 2000 (12th) |
| Rabri Devi | 11 March 2000 – 6 March 2005 | 4 years, 360 days | – |
| President's rule was imposed during the period (7 March – 24 November 2005) | |||
| Elections were held to elect the 13th Assembly in February 2005, but no government was formed. | |||
| Nitish Kumar | 24 November 2005 – 20 May 2014 | 8 years, 177 days | Oct. 2005 (14th), 2010 (15th) |
| Jitan Ram Manjhi | 20 May 2014 – 22 February 2015 | 278 days | – |
| Nitish Kumar | 22 February 2015 – Incumbent | 10 years, 265 days | 2015 (16th), 2020 (17th), 2025 (18th) |
Notes:
- The table reflects multiple terms for Chief Ministers who served non-consecutive terms (e.g., Bhola Paswan Shastri, Jagannath Mishra, Karpoori Thakur, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, Nitish Kumar).
- "Incumbent" for Nitish Kumar indicates he is still in office as of the current date (February 26, 2025).
- The "Election (Term)" column lists the election year and assembly term where provided; a dash (–) indicates no specific election term was listed for that tenure, though some are inferred from prior terms (e.g., "– (5th)" under Daroga Prasad Rai).
Prime Ministers From Bihar
Before independence, Bihar was part of the larger Bihar and Orissa province, which was officially divided into two separate provinces on April 1, 1936. The Government of India Act 1935 introduced a bicameral legislature in Bihar, comprising a Legislative Assembly and a Legislative Council, led by a Premier.
In 1937, Shri Krishna Sinha became the first Premier of Bihar, heading a government formed by the Indian National Congress. After independence, he continued as Bihar’s leader and became its first Chief Minister in 1946. With India's independence in 1947, the title of Premier was replaced by Chief Minister, marking Bihar’s transition into a new democratic political framework.
| Chief Minister | Terms of Office | Election (Term) |
|---|---|---|
| Mohammad Yunus | 1 April 1937 – 19 July 1937 (109 days) | Muslim Independent Party |
| Shri Krishna Sinha | 20 July 1937 – 31 October 1939 (2 years, 103 days) | Indian National Congress |
| Shri Krishna Sinha | 23 March 1946 – 14 August 1947 (1 year, 144 days) | Indian National Congress |
Who is the Current Chief Minister of Bihar?
The Current Chief Minister of Bihar is Nitish Kumar. He has been serving as the Chief Minister for multiple terms and is the longest-serving CM of the state. He took his latest oath of office on January 28, 2024, leading a government in alliance with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Who won the Bihar Elections 2025? Who will be the Next Chief Minister of Bihar?
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured a resounding victory in the 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, winning a massive 202 out of 243 seats, comfortably crossing the 122-seat majority mark. The NDA's success was spearheaded by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats, and the Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) with 85 seats. In contrast, the opposition Mahagathbandhan, led by the RJD and INC, was decimated.
Following the mandate, the incumbent leader, Nitish Kumar (JD(U)), is set to take the oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar for a record tenth time, reaffirming his enduring political significance in the state's politics.
Who are the Longest-Serving Chief Ministers of Bihar?
Over the years, Bihar has witnessed several influential leaders who have served as Chief Ministers, some holding office for extended periods. Nitish Kumar of the Janata Dal (United) holds the record for the longest continuous term, serving 10 years and 265 days, with a total tenure spanning 18 years and 90 days across multiple terms.
Following him, Shri Krishna Sinha of the Indian National Congress (INC) served continuously for 14 years and 314 days, making him the second-longest-serving Chief Minister, with an overall tenure of 17 years and 51 days. Rabri Devi, representing the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), governed for 4 years and 360 days in one stretch, accumulating a total of 7 years and 190 days in office.
| No. | Name | Party | Length of Term | Longest Continuous Term | Total Years of Chief Ministership |
| 1 | Nitish Kumar | JD(U) | 10 years, 265 days | 8 years, 177 days | 19 years, 84 days (Nearly 20 years) |
| 2 | Shri Krishna Sinha | INC | 14 years, 314 days | 14 years, 314 days | 17 years, 51 days |
| 3 | Rabri Devi | RJD | 4 years, 360 days | 4 years, 360 days | 7 years, 190 days |
| 4 | Lalu Prasad Yadav | JD | 5 years, 18 days | 5 years, 18 days | 7 years, 130 days |
| 5 | Jagannath Mishra | INC | 3 years, 67 days | 3 years, 67 days | 5 years, 180 days |
| 6 | Krishna Ballabh Sahay | INC | 3 years, 154 days | 3 years, 154 days | 3 years, 154 days |
| 7 | Bindeshwari Dubey | INC | 2 years, 338 days | 2 years, 338 days | 2 years, 338 days |
| 8 | Binodanand Jha | INC | 2 years, 226 days | 2 years, 226 days | 2 years, 226 days |
| 9 | Karpoori Thakur | SP | 1 year, 301 days | 1 year, 301 days | 2 years, 98 days |
| 10 | Abdul Ghafoor | INC | 1 year, 283 days | 1 year, 283 days | 1 year, 283 days |
| 11 | Chandrashekhar Singh | INC | 1 year, 210 days | 1 year, 210 days | 1 year, 210 days |
| 12 | Kedar Pandey | INC | 1 year, 105 days | 1 year, 105 days | 1 year, 105 days |
| 13 | Bhagwat Jha Azad | INC | 1 year, 24 days | 1 year, 24 days | 1 year, 24 days |
| 14 | Mahamaya Prasad Sinha | JKD | 329 days | 329 days | 329 days |
| 15 | Daroga Prasad Rai | INC | 310 days | 310 days | 310 days |
| 16 | Ram Sundar Das | JP | 302 days | 302 days | 302 days |
| 17 | Jitan Ram Manjhi | JD(U) | 278 days | 278 days | 278 days |
| 18 | Satyendra Narayan Sinha | INC | 270 days | 270 days | 270 days |
| 19 | Harihar Singh | INC | 117 days | 117 days | 117 days |
| 20 | Bhola Paswan Shastri | INC | 99 days | 99 days | 112 days |
| 21 | Bindheshwari Prasad Mandal | SSP | 51 days | 51 days | 51 days |
| 22 | Deep Narayan Singh | INC | 17 days | 17 days | 17 days |
| 23 | Satish Prasad Singh | SSP | 5 days | 5 days | 5 days |
Her predecessor, Lalu Prasad Yadav, first from Janata Dal (JD), held power for 5 years and 18 days continuously and served a cumulative 7 years and 130 days as Chief Minister. Jagannath Mishra of the INC governed for 3 years and 67 days, with a total tenure of 5 years and 180 days.
Other notable names include Krishna Ballabh Sahay, who remained in power for 3 years and 154 days, which also marked his total term. Bindeshwari Dubey and Binodanand Jha, both from INC, served for 2 years and 338 days and 2 years and 226 days, respectively.
Karpoori Thakur, affiliated with the Samajwadi Party (SP), governed for 1 year and 301 days in a single term but served for 2 years and 98 days overall. Lastly, Abdul Ghafoor of INC held the Chief Minister’s position for 1 year and 283 days, marking his entire tenure.
These leaders have left a lasting impact on Bihar’s political landscape, shaping policies and governance during their time in office.
What's Next| 12 Jyotirlingas of India: Locations and Significance
-1763106310081.jpg)
Comments
All Comments (0)
Join the conversation