The Indian National Congress (INC) is one of the two major parties in the political system of the Republic of India. As of May 2026, INC is in power in the four states: Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Telangana. In Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir, it shares power with alliance partners Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Jammu & Kashmir National Conference respectively. In the post-independence era, the party has governed most of India's states and union territories, and by extension, has the status of a "national party" in India.
According to the Constitution of India, at the state level, the governor is de jure head, but de facto executive authority rests with the chief minister. Therefore, the chief minister is considered the head of government in his jurisdiction. Following elections to the state legislative assembly, the governor usually invites the party or coalition with a majority of seats to form the government. The chief minister is appointed by the governor, who also appoints other ministers, known as the council of ministers, based on the chief minister's advice. The council of ministers is collectively responsible to the state legislative assembly, ensuring unified support for all governmental decisions. The Chief Minister's term is normally limited to five years if they have the assembly's confidence. There are no limits to the number of terms the chief minister can serve. The deputy chief minister is a member of the state government and usually the second highest ranking executive officer of their state's council of ministers. Because the deputy chief minister is not a constitutional office, the Chief Minister has significant influence over the scope of authority and duties the deputy chief minister can perform. A deputy chief minister usually holds a cabinet portfolio such as home minister or finance minister. In the parliamentary system of government, the chief minister is treated as the "first among equals" in the cabinet; the position of deputy chief minister is used to bring political stability and strength within a coalition government.
Five of the INC chief ministers have been women – Sucheta Kripalani for Uttar Pradesh, Nandini Satpathy for Odisha, Anwara Taimur for Assam, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal for Punjab, and Sheila Dikshit for Delhi. The longest-serving female chief minister was Sheila Dikshit, who served as the chief minister of Delhi for over fifteen years. Okram Ibobi Singh, who was chief minister of Manipur for 15 years and 11 days between March 2002 and March 2017, has been the longest-serving chief minister of the state. Tarun Gogoi held the position of chief minister in Assam for a period of 15 years and 6 days. A leader of the Indian National Congress, Virbhadra Singh holds the distinction of being the longest serving chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, holding the office from 1983 to 1990, from 1993 to 1998, from 2003 to 2007 and finally from 2012 to 2017. Gegong Apang has not only been the longest-serving chief minister from the INC but also in the history of Arunachal Pradesh. Apang also holds the record for the fourth-longest-serving chief minister of an Indian state, holding the post for over twenty-two years.
Andhra Pradesh + Chief ministers of Andhra State (1952-1957) PortraitNameConstituencyTerm of officeAssembly N/A 1 October 1953 15 November 1954
N/A Atmakur 28 March 1955 1 November 1956
1st
+ Chief ministers of United Andhra PradeshPortraitNameConstituencyTerm of officeAssembly Kalahasti 1 November 1956 11 January 1960
1st Dhone 12 March 1962 20 February 1964
3rd Kurnool 11 January 1960 12 March 1962
2nd Narasaraopet 21 February 1964 30 September 1971
4th Manthani 30 September 1971 10 January 1973
5th Vemsoor 10 December 1973 6 March 1978
6th Medchal 6 March 1978 11 October 1980 Sanathnagar 3 December 1989 17 December 1990
9th MLC 11 October 1980 24 February 1982
6th MLC 24 February 1982 20 September 1982 Kurnool 20 September 1982 9 January 1983 Panyam 9 October 1992 12 December 1994
9th Venkatagiri 17 December 1990 9 October 1992 Pulivendla 14 May 2004 2 September 2009
12th Guntur 3 September 2009 24 November 2010
13th Pileru 25 November 2010 1 March 2014
Arunachal Pradesh + Chief ministers of Arunachal PradeshPortraitNameConstituencyTerm in officeAssembly Tuting-Yingkiong18 January 198019 February 1985 2nd21 February 198510 March 19903rd16 March 19909 April 19954th17 April 199521 May 19995th3 August 20039 April 20077th Roing 19 January 1999 3 August 2003 6th Mukto 9 April 2007 30 April 2011 8th Liromoba 5 May 2011 1 November 2011 9th Sagalee 1 November 2011 26 January 201613 July 201617 July 2016Mukto17 July 201616 September 2016
Assam + Chief ministers of Assam PortraitNameConstituencyTerm of officeChief Ministers from the Assam Assembly websiteAssemblyKamrup Sadar (South) 19 September 1938 17 November 1939 1st Provincial11 February 194625 January 19502nd Provincial26 January 19506 August 1950 Hajo 9 August 1950 27 December 1957 Sonari 28 December 1957 6 November 1970 2nd 3rd Gauhati East 11 November 1970 30 January 1972 4th Kokrajhar East 31 January 1972 12 March 1978 5th Dalgaon 6 December 1980 30 June 1981 6th Dibrugarh 13 January 1982 19 March 1982 Nazira 27 February 1983 23 December 1985 7th 30 June 1991 22 April 1996 8th Barkhetry 22 April 1996 14 May 1996 9th Titabar 17 May 2001 24 May 2016 11th12th13th
Bihar + Premier of BiharPortraitNameConstituencyTerm in officeAssemblyN/A 20 July 1937 31 October 1939N/A23 March 194625 January 1950N/A
+ Chief ministers of Bihar PortraitNameConstituencyTerm of officeAssembly Basantpur West 2 April 1946 31 January 19611st2nd Hajipur 1 February 1961 18 February 1961 Rajmahal 18 February 1961 2 October 1963 3rd Patna West 2 October 1963 5 March 1967 Parbatta 28 January 1968 1 February 1968 5 days4th MLC 1 February 1968 2 March 1968 31 days Nayagram 26 February 1969 22 June 1969 117 days5th Parsa 16 February 1970 22 December 1970 310 days Korha 2 June 1971 9 January 1972 222 days Nautan 19 March 1972 2 July 1973 6th MLC 2 July 1973 11 April 1975 Jhanjharpur 11 April 1975 30 April 1977 7th 8 June 1980 14 August 1983 8th 6 December 1989 10 March 1990 9th Jhajha 14 August 1983 12 March 1985 8th Shahpur 12 March 1985 13 February 1988 9th MLC 14 February 1988 10 March 1989 MLC 11 March 1989 6 December 1989
Chhattisgarh + Chief ministers of ChhattisgarhPortraitNameConstituency Term in officeAssembly Marwahi 1 November 2000 5 December 2003 Interim Patan 17 December 2018 3 December 2023 5th
Delhi + Chief ministers of Delhi (Part-C State)PortraitNameConstituency Term of officeAssemblyBrahm PrakashNangloi Jat17 March 195212 February 1955InterimDaryaganj12 February 19551 November 1956
+ Chief Minister of Delhi (UT)PortraitNameConstituencyTerm in officeAssemblyNew Delhi3 December 19981 December 2003 2nd2 December 200329 November 20083rd30 November 200828 December 20134th
Goa + Chief Minister of Union territory of Goa, Daman and DiuPortraitNameConstituency Term of officeAssembly
Sattari 7 January 1985 30 May 1987
4th Poriem 30 May 1987 9 January 1990 5th
+ Chief ministers of Goa (State)PortraitNameConstituency Term of officeAssembly
Poriem 9 January 1990 27 March 1990
1st 16 December 1994 29 July 1998
2nd 3 February 2005 4 March 2005 4th 7 June 2005 7 June 2007
Marcaim 25 January 1991 18 May 1993
1st 2 April 1994 8 April 1994
Saligao 18 May 1993 2 April 1994 8 April 1994 16 December 1994 29 July 1998 23 November 1998 2nd Navelim 26 November 1998 8 February 1999 9 June 1999 24 November 1999
3rd
Madgaon 8 June 2007 8 March 2012
5th
Gujarat + Prime ministers of Kathiawar/Saurashtra (1948–50)PortraitNameConstituencyTerm in office Assembly N/A 6 March 1952 31 October 1956
Interim
+ Chief ministers of Saurashtra (1950–56)PortraitNameConstituencyTerm in office Assembly N/A 26 January 1950 19 December 1954
Interim N/A 26 January 1950 19 December 1954
2nd
+ Chief ministers of GujaratPortraitNameConstituencyTerm of officeAssembly Amreli 1 May 1960 3 March 1962
Interim 3 March 1962 19 September 1963 2nd
Bhavnagar 25 February 1963 19 September 1965
Olpad 19 September 1965 3 April 1967 3 April 1967 12 November 1969 3rd 12 November 1969 12 May 1971
Dahegam 17 March 1972 17 July 1973
4th
Sankheda 17 July 1973 9 February 1974
4 March 1990 17 February 1994
8th
Bhadran 24 December 1976 10 April 1977
5th 7 June 1980 10 March 1985
6th 11 March 1985 6 July 1985
7th 10 December 1989 3 March 1990
Vyara 6 July 1985 9 December 1989
Unjha 25 October 1990 17 February 1994
8th
Mahuva 17 February 1994 31 March 1995
Haryana + Chief ministers of HaryanaPortraitNameConstituency Term of officeAssembly
Jhajjar 1 November 1966 23 March 1967
1st
Tosham 22 May 1968 30 November 1975
3rd 5 July 1985 19 June 1987
6th
Bhiwani 1 December 1975 30 April 1977
4th Adampur 22 January 1980 5 July 1985
6th 23 July 1991 9 May 1996
8th
Garhi Sampla-Kiloi 5 March 2005 26 October 2014
11th
Himachal Pradesh + Chief ministers of Bilaspur State (1950–1954)PortraitNameConstituencyTerm of officeAssembly N/A 12 October 1948 26 January 1950 N/A N/A 26 January 1950 1 July 1954 N/A
+ Chief ministers of Himachal Pradesh (Union Territory with Legislature)PortraitNameConstituency Term of officeAssembly Pachhad 8 March 1952 31 October 1956
1st Key – Incumbent chief minister + Chief ministers of Himachal Pradesh PortraitNameConstituency Term of officeAssembly
Sri Renuka 1 July 1963 28 January 1977
Territorial Council2nd
Jubbal-Kotkhai 28 January 1977 30 April 1977
3rd 14 February 1980 7 April 1983
Jubbal-Kotkhai 8 April 1983 8 March 1985
5th 8 March 1985 5 March 1990
6th Rohru 3 December 1993 23 March 1998
8th 6 March 2003 30 December 2007
10th Shimla Rural 25 December 2012 27 December 2017
12th*Nadaun11 December 2022Incumbent*14th
Jammu and Kashmir + Prime ministers of Jammu and KashmirPortraitNameConstituency Term of officePrime Ministers and Chief Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir since 1947 . General Administration Department, Government of Jammu and Kashmir. Retrieved 29 April 2014.Assembly N/A 15 October 1947 5 March 1948 3rd Tankipura 29 February 1964 30 March 1965N/A
+ Chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir (state)PortraitNameConstituencyTerm of officeAssembly Tankipura 30 March 1965 21 February 19674th Amirakadal 21 February 1967 12 December 1971 Verinag 12 December 1971 17 June 1972 17 June 1972 25 February 1975 Bhaderwah 2 November 2005 11 July 2008 10th
Karnataka + Prime Minister of Mysore StatePortrait Name Constituency Term of office Assembly N/A 25 October 1947 26 January 1950 Not established yet
+ Chief ministers of Mysore StatePortraitNameConstituency Term of officeAssembly N/A 26 January 1950 30 March 1952 Legislative Assembly unestablished Ramanagara 30 March 1952 19 August 19561st Tirthahalli 19 August 1956 31 October 1956
+ Chief ministers of Mysore (following the state's reorganisation)PortraitNameConstituencyTerm of officeAssembly
Molakalmuru 1 November 1956 16 May 1958 1st Jamkhandi 21 June 1962 28 May 1968 3rd 4th Jamkhandi 16 May 1958 9 March 1962 2nd Hungund 14 March 1962 20 June 1962 3rd
+ Chief Minister of Coorg StatePortraitNameConstituency Term of officeAssembly N/A 27 March 195231 October 1956 1st
Key – Incumbent chief minister + Chief ministers of KarnatakaPortraitNameConstituency Term of office Assembly Hunsur 20 March 1972 31 December 19775th 28 February 1978 7 January 1980 6th