Latest news with #IndianNationalCongress
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
India's 10 longest-serving Prime Ministers: Narendra Modi surpasses Indira Gandhi's legacy to become second longest in history
Since India's Independence in 1947, the role of Prime Minister has been central to shaping the country's political, social, and economic trajectory. Leading the world's largest democracy demands not just administrative skill but visionary leadership capable of managing diverse populations, geopolitical challenges, and rapid development. Over the decades, India has seen 14 Prime Ministers whose tenures range from a few days to over sixteen years. In a historic political milestone, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has officially surpassed Indira Gandhi to become India's longest-serving Prime Minister. This achievement marks not just the longevity of his leadership but also a shift in India's political narrative from the Congress era's dominance under Gandhi to the BJP-led transformative governance model under Modi. His tenure, spanning economic reforms, digital innovation, foreign policy assertiveness, and ambitious social welfare schemes, has redefined India's global positioning. The tenures of these Prime Ministers highlight the evolving nature of Indian democracy from Nehru's foundational vision, through Indira Gandhi's transformative yet controversial years, to Modi's contemporary leadership reshaping India's global position. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Live Comfortably: 60m2 prefabricated bungalow for the elderly in Serang Pre Fabricated Homes | Search Ads Search Now Undo Their diverse leadership styles and legacies continue to influence India's political and socio-economic fabric. List of longest serving Prime Ministers of India Rank Prime Minister Party Term Start – End Duration 1 Jawaharlal Nehru Indian National Congress Aug 15, 1947 – May 27, 1964 16 years, 286 days 2 Narendra Modi Bharatiya Janata Party May 26, 2014 – Present 11 years, 64 days 3 Indira Gandhi Indian National Congress Jan 24, 1966 – Mar 24, 1977 11 years, 59 days 4 Manmohan Singh Indian National Congress May 22, 2004 – May 26, 2014 10 years, 4 days 5 Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bharatiya Janata Party Mar 19, 1998 – May 22, 2004 6 years, 80 days 6 Rajiv Gandhi Indian National Congress Oct 31, 1984 – Dec 2, 1989 5 years, 32 days 7 P. V. Narasimha Rao Indian National Congress Jun 21, 1991 – May 16, 1996 4 years, 330 days 8 Morarji Desai Janata Party Mar 24, 1977 – Jul 28, 1979 2 years, 126 days 9 Lal Bahadur Shastri Indian National Congress Jun 9, 1964 – Jan 11, 1966 1 year, 216 days 10 Vishwanath Pratap Singh Janata Dal Dec 2, 1989 – Nov 10, 1990 343 days Prime Ministers who served the longest in India Jawaharlal Nehru As India's first Prime Minister, Nehru served nearly 17 years, establishing foundational democratic institutions, secularism, and non-alignment in foreign affairs. His vision fostered a mixed economy, initiating industrialisation and social reforms. Nehru's leadership during the formative years was instrumental in uniting a diverse nation post-independence. Narendra Modi Assuming office in 2014, Modi has transformed India's political landscape with initiatives like Digital India, Make in India, and Swachh Bharat Mission. His foreign policy has focused on global partnerships, while domestically he has pursued economic reforms and infrastructure growth. Surpassing Indira Gandhi's continuous tenure, Modi represents a new era of leadership marked by decisive governance and political longevity. Indira Gandhi Indira Gandhi, India's first and only woman Prime Minister, steered the country through turbulent times including the Green Revolution, the Emergency period (1975–77), and the 1971 war leading to Bangladesh's creation. Her tenure was marked by centralisation of power and efforts to consolidate national unity. Manmohan Singh An economist by training, Singh is credited with spearheading India's 1991 economic liberalisation as Finance Minister before becoming Prime Minister. His decade in office was characterised by steady economic growth, expanding India's global economic ties, and efforts to improve social welfare. Atal Bihari Vajpayee Vajpayee's leadership blended pragmatic governance with nationalism. He led India through nuclear tests in 1998, promoted infrastructure development via the Golden Quadrilateral highway project, and sought peace with Pakistan through diplomacy. His oratory skills and coalition-building helped stabilize a politically fragmented era. Rajiv Gandhi Taking office after Indira Gandhi's assassination, Rajiv Gandhi was India's youngest Prime Minister. He pushed for technological advancement, modernised telecom infrastructure, and attempted economic reforms. His tenure was abruptly ended by electoral defeat and his assassination in 1991. P. V. Narasimha Rao Often called the 'Father of Indian Economic Reforms,' Rao's government liberalised the economy, reducing licence controls and opening India to foreign investment. He faced political challenges but is widely credited with transforming India's economic trajectory in the 1990s. Morarji Desai As the first non-Congress Prime Minister, Desai's government focused on reducing corruption, decentralising power, and restoring democratic norms post-Emergency. His tenure was marked by political instability but set a precedent for coalition governments in India. Lal Bahadur Shastri Shastri's short but impactful tenure included promoting agricultural self-sufficiency and leading India during the 1965 Indo-Pak war. His slogan 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' remains a symbol of patriotism and agrarian pride. Vishwanath Pratap Singh Singh is best known for implementing the Mandal Commission recommendations, introducing reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC) in government jobs and education. His policies triggered widespread social and political debates, fundamentally reshaping India's caste dynamics.
Hans India
a day ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Congress Faces Fresh Internal Remarks Following Shashi Tharoor's ‘Bharat Ki Baat' Comment
Indian National Congress News: As the Congress ramps up attacks on the Narendra Modi government over the Operation Sindoor issue, growing differences within the party are also starting to garner more attention now and may prove to be a headache for the Opposition camp in its attempts to present a united front. In the buzz over why senior party Shashi Tharoor Congress was not speaking in the debate, another MP's social media post has left the Congress red-faced and given fresh ammunition to the BJP. Former Union Minister and Anandpur Sahib MP Manish Tewari today shared a screenshot of a political statements India on why he and Mr Tharoor were benched for a debate. Congress MP message on X was captioned with an evergreen patriotic song from Purab Aur Pachhim (1970): 'Hai preet jahaan ki reet sada, main geet wahaan ke gaata hoon, Bharat ka rehne waala hoon, Bharat ki baat sunata hoon. Jai Hind', the Congress MP wrote. Mr. Tewari and Mr. Tharoor are not in the lists of speakers for the Parliament debate but both were part of the Indian delegations who represented New Delhi on its foreign outreach missions after Operation Sindoor. As the Operation Sindoor debate kicked off yesterday, the Congress list of speakers raised tall questions. The name of Mr Tharoor, a former diplomat and a phenomenal public speaker, was not on the list. When the media asked him about this outside the Parliament, he replied with a smile, 'maunvrat' -- meaning a 'vow of silence'. "The reported explanation to me was that he did not want to wholeheartedly take the party line in that debate," "I think he was standing up for his personal beliefs. This is a guy who is proud of what he stands for'. This follows months of unease between Mr Tharoor and the Congress leadership over his public comments in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and India's counterstrike Operation Sindoor. Mr Tharoor claimed he would always have India first.
Mint
5 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
With 4079 days in office on Friday, Narendra Modi surpasses Indira Gandhi to be PM with second-longest unbroken stint
Narendra Modi has surpassed Indira Gandhi to become the second-longest serving prime minister of India in consecutive terms on Friday. Modi, 74 completes 4,079 days in office on July 25, the day he lands in Maldives on a two-day state tour. Modi, currently in his third term, took the oath of office for the first time as PM on May 26, 2014. Friday, July 23 is his 4,079th day in office as prime minister of India. Indira Gandhi served as prime minister for 4,078 days, from January 24, 1966, to March 24, 1977 – both days included. Indira served as the prime minister of India again from 1980 until her assassination in 1984. She was India's first and, to date, only female prime minister, and a central figure in Indian politics as the leader of the Indian National Congress (INC). Indira was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India, and the mother of Rajiv Gandhi, who succeeded her as prime minister. Gandhi's cumulative tenure as prime minister was 15 years and 350 days. The record for the longest stint is held by the first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who served as Prime Minister of India for 16 years and 286 days from August 15, 1947, to May 27, 1964. Over all Nehru was PM for 6131 days including May 27, 1964 the day died before completing his third term in office. Nehru was elected Prime Minister after the Congress party won the first general elections in 1951-52 and then in 1957 and 1962. Modi has already matched Nehru in leading their respective parties to victory in three consecutive Lok Sabha elections. As an elected head of a government, in the state and at the Centre, Modi already enjoys the longest stint. He became Gujarat chief minister in 2001 and remained in the office before taking over as prime minister in 2014. Modi, the first prime minister born after Independence, is also the longest-serving non-Congress PM. The Gujarat-born leader is also the only non-Congress leader to complete two full terms as the head of the central government. Modi is the only leader in India, among all PMs and CMs, to win six consecutive elections as the leader of a party. "Modi is the only leader in India, among all PMs and CMs, to win six consecutive elections as the leader of a party – in Gujarat assembly polls in 2002, 2007 and 2012, and in the national elections in 2014, 2019, and 2024," an official told news agency PTI.
New Indian Express
22-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Income tax tribunal upholds Rs 199 crore tax demand against Congress
In a setback to Indian National Congress (INC), the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), Delhi Bench, which upheld a tax assessment of over Rs 199 crore for Assessment Year 2018-19. The Tribunal confirmed the disallowance of tax exemption under Section 13A of the Income-tax Act, 1961, citing the party's failure to file its income tax return by the due date and the receipt of cash donations exceeding the prescribed limit. The case originated when the Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax, Central Circle-19, assessed the INC's income at Rs 199 crore, despite the party declaring "Nil" income. This assessment was subsequently upheld by the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals). A key contention was the timing of the INC's tax return. For Assessment Year 2018-19, the due date for filing income tax returns for political parties was initially September 30, 2018, later extended to December 31, 2018. However, the Indian National Congress filed its return on February 2, 2019, which the tax authorities deemed to be beyond the prescribed due date under Section 139(4B) of the Act. Section 13A's second proviso specifically mandates that a political party must furnish its return of income by the due date under Section 139(4B) to avail tax exemption. The second major point of contention was the receipt of cash donations. The Assessing Officer found that the INC had received Rs 14.49 lakh in cash from various persons, with each donation exceeding Rs 2,000. Section 13A(d) of the Act strictly prohibits political parties from receiving donations exceeding Rs 2,000 in cash, mandating transactions through account payee cheque, bank draft, electronic clearing system, or electoral bond. The tax department argued that the party's own balance sheet recorded these as "donations". The INC argued that its return, filed on February 2, 2019, was within the extended time limit available under Section 139(4) of the Act, and that a belated return should not lead to the disallowance of exemption under Section 13A. The party also attempted to differentiate between "voluntary contributions" and "donations," stating that the cash receipts were voluntary contributions and not donations, an argument rejected by the tax authorities. However, the ITAT's order sided with the revenue department, reinforcing the strict compliance required by political parties to claim tax exemptions under Section 13A. The tribunal's decision underlines the importance of adhering to both timely filing requirements and the prescribed modes for receiving donations to qualify for tax exemptions. The appeal of the Indian National Congress was dismissed, confirming the disallowance of the claimed Rs 199.15 crore exemption.
Indian Express
22-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Income Tax Appellate Tribunal dismisses Congress appeal against Rs 199 crore tax assessment
Denying relief to the Indian National Congress, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) on Monday dismissed an appeal by the party against a tax demand of ₹199.15 crore for the year 2018-19. Late return filing and violations of cash donation limits were among the main grounds due to which the ITAT rejected the party's claim for tax exemption. 'The assessee's return filed on 02.02.2019 is not within the 'due' date to make it eligible for the impugned exemption,' ruled the coram on July 21. The INC had filed its income tax return on February 2, 2019 – over a month after the extended due date of December 31, 2018, prescribed under the IT Act. It had declared income after claiming an exemption of Rs. 199.15 crores. Another issue that the ITAT looked at was a violation of cash donation limits. According to scrutiny proceedings, the party had received ₹14.49 lakh in cash donations exceeding ₹2,000 from various individuals. Donations above ₹ 2,000 can only be received through banking channels like account payee cheques or electronic transfers as per the Finance Act, 2017. 'As per section 13A(d) of the Act, donation in excess of ₹2,000/- is mandatorily be received through a/c payee cheque/draft or through electronic mode and therefore donation in excess of ₹2,000/- received in cash violates provisions of clause (d) of first proviso to section 13A of the Act,' the ITAT order stated. The Congress tried to find respite in Section 139(4) of the IT Act which states that if an individual misses the ITR filing deadline, they can still file a belated return, subject to penalties. The ITAT, however, denied it relief. '…it is manifestly clear that the legislature has incorporated the statutory expression therein as 'within the time allowed under that section' i.e. section 139(1) as well as u/s 139(4)…we thus reject the assessee's instant first and foremost substantive grievance in very terms and decide the above first question framed between the parties; in the department's favour,' the tribunal ruled.
