Congress attacks Modi on becoming India's longest-serving PM, invokes Nehru's legacy: ‘Dubiously invented milestone’

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi became India's longest-serving elected prime minister today, Congress party used the occasion to draw a sharp contrast between his tenure and that of independent India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

In a strongly worded statement, the Congress accused Modi of attempting to erase Nehru's legacy and claimed that the milestone marked by the prime minister could not overshadow what it described as the foundational achievements of the Nehru era.

“Jawaharlal Nehru became Prime Minister of India on August 15, 1947 presiding over a stellar Cabinet - the likes of which have rarely been seen in the world. Over the next five years, modern India came into being, ” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in a long post on X.

Longest-serving elected prime minister

Modi became India's longest-serving elected prime minister on 10 June. With this milestone, PM Modi overtakes Jawaharlal Nehru's tenure as the country's longest-serving elected leader.

PM Modi took oath as prime minister for the first time on 26 May, 2014. He is in his third term as PM and completes 4,399 consecutive days in office today.

“Over 560 princely states were integrated peacefully into the Indian Union, the Constitution of India was debated and adopted, zamindari was abolished, reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes were put in place, a number of multipurpose irrigation-cum-power projects were launched, the infrastructure for science and technology capability was established (including in nuclear energy), and India emerged as a force in global affairs," Ramesh wrote.

"Electoral rolls bearing 170 million registered voters were prepared to ensure universal adult franchise and free India’s first General Elections were held between October 1951 and February 1952.” the Congress leader said.

The Congress also pointed to the establishment of key scientific and technological institutions, including those related to nuclear energy, and India's emergence as an influential voice in global affairs during the early years after Independence.

“The 1947-52 record of achievements of India with Nehru as PM and in which stalwarts like Sardar Patel, Dr Ambedkar, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, C. Rajagopalachari, and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad played such a pivotal role is now sought to be erased by Mr Modi who has a pathological fixation on Nehru. He may have passed a self-proclaimed and dubiously invented milestone today but he is a millstone around India’s neck, presiding as he is over the Murder of Democracy in India,” Ramesh said.

The very same establishments of democracy - an independent Election Commission and a sacrosanct voter list - are now threatened. Scientific temper has been erased through the destruction of our educational institutions - as exposed most recently by the NEET-CBSE scandals, he added.

“Reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes have been weakened through privatisation and nefarious instruments like ‘Not Found Suitable,” he said.

The record for the longest stint before PM Modi is held by the first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who served as Prime Minister of India for 16 years and 4,398 days.

‘2024 was most certainly not a mandate for Him’

PM Modi had already overtaken former prime minister Indira Gandhi’s longest uninterrupted tenure on 25 July, 2025. Indira Gandhi served continuously as prime minister from 24 January 1966 to 24 March 1977 – a tenure of 4,077 days.

“And while Nehru won in 1952, 1957, and 1962 with a hugely decisive majority, Mr. Modi did NOT secure even a simple majority by a considerable margin in 2024 and had to hurriedly convene a NDA meeting bypassing the BJP Parliamentary Party to anoint himself as PM. 2024 was most certainly not a mandate for Him,” Ramesh wrote.