Who is the longest serving Chief Minister of Nagaland ?

Who is the longest serving Chief Minister of Nagaland – you wonder? In this post, we’ll see who is longest serving Chief Minister of Nagaland.

SC Jamir was once the longest serving Chief Minister of Nagaland having served for five terms, with a total of 5622 days in office or 15 years 147 days. And in July 2022, the incumbent Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio beats SC Jamir’s record as the longest serving Chief Minister of Nagaland.

Now in 2023, Neiphiu Rio was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Nagaland on 07 March 2023 for the fifth term, making him the longest serving Chief Minister of Nagaland with more than 16 years and counting. Both the veterans have five terms as the Chief Minister of Nagaland.

SC Jamir as Chief Minister of Nagaland for five terms

Constituency	Start	End	Days	Assembly Election
Aonglenden, Mokokchung	18-04-1980	05-06-1980	48	4th NLA (1977 election)
Aonglenden, Mokokchung	18-11-1982	28-10-1986	1440	5th NLA (1982 election)
Mokokchung Town	25-01-1989	10-05-1990	470	7th NLA (1989 election)
Aonglenden, Mokokchung	22-02-1993	06-03-2003	3664	8th NLA (1993 election), 9th NLA (1998 election)
		Total	5622 days	(15 years 147 days)

SC Jamir served as Chief Minister of Nagaland for five terms during the 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th and 9th Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
SC Jamir’s longest term as Chief Minister of Nagaland was for 3664 days (10 years, 14 days) from 22-Feb-1993 to 06-March-2003 when he served as the Chief Minister for two consecutive full terms during the 8th and 9th Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
With a total of 5622 days in office or 15 years 147 days as Chief Minister of Nagaland, SC Jamir was the unbeaten longest serving Chief Minister of Nagaland until Neiphiu Rio beat SC Jamir’s record on 20th July 2022.
Now, after NDPP-BJP Alliance won the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly Elections in March 2023, and Neiphiu Rio was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Nagaland for the fifth term on 7th March 2023, Neiphiu Rio is clocking a total of 5858 days as Chief Minister of Nagaland as on 12 March 2023 and counting.

Neiphiu Rio as Chief Minister of Nagaland for five terms

Constituency	Start	End	Days	Assembly Election
Northern Angami-II, Kohima	06-03-2003	03-01-2008	1764	10th NLA (2003 election)
Northern Angami-II, Kohima	12-03-2008	24-05-2014	2264	11th NLA (2008 election) 12th NLA (2013 election)
Northern Angami-II, Kohima	08-03-2018	07-03-2023	1825	13th NLA (2018 election)
Northern Angami-II, Kohima	07-03-2023	Till Date		14th NLA (2023 election)
		Total	5853 days	(16 Years, 13 days)

Neiphiu Rio was the Chief Minister of Nagaland for three consecutive NLA terms, (2003–08, 2008–13, and 2013–14) making him the only Nagaland Chief Minister to have served three consecutive terms without a break.
Neiphiu Rio has been the Chief Minister of Nagaland for five consecutive NLA terms from 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th, with a break from 2014 to 2018 when he was a Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Nagaland. During the period, the CM post as held by T. R. Zeliang and later by Shurhozelie Liezietsu from the same party, Naga People’s Front (NPF).
He established the NDPP in 2017 after splitting from the Naga People’s Front (NPF).
Neiphiu Rio, 72, contested and won from Northern Angami-II defeating Seyievilie Sachu of Congress by a margin of 15,824 votes in the Nagaland Legislative Election 2023.
Neiphiu Rio was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Nagaland for the fifth term on 7th March 2023.
Neiphiu Rio is presently the longest serving Chief Minister of Nagaland clocking a total of 5858 days as Chief Minister of Nagaland on 12 March 2023 and counting.

Thus, SC Jamir served as the Chief Minister of Nagaland for about 15 years, whereas, Neiphiu Rio has been serving as the Chief Minister of Nagaland for 16 years and counting, making Neiphiu Rio the longest serving Chief Minister of Nagaland so far.