CHAMLING THE LONGEST SERVING CHIEF MINISTER OF INDIA

Pawan Chamling is now the longest serving Chief Minister in the Country. The 5th term Chief Minister has surpassed the record of former West Bengal Chief Minister Late Jyoti Basu from 29th of April, 2018. Pawan Chamling rose to power after he was unanimously elected as Chief Minister of the 22nd State of India on 12th December, 1994, when the party under his leadership won the State General elections. Since then, there has been no looking back. He is currently in his 5th term as the Chief Minister of Sikkim and is continuously rendering his service to the people of Sikkim.

Under the leadership of Pawan Chamling, the Sikkim Democratic Front, a regional party was born on 4th March, 1993, which earned the admiration and support of the people of Sikkim and on 12th December, 1994, formed its own Government and Chamling was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Sikkim. The party under his leadership won the elections for five consecutive terms and Pawan Chamling completed a record 23 years, four months and 17 days in office as the Chief Minister of the 22nd State of the Indian Union. The record term as Chief Minister of the State testifies the commitment, sincerity, good governance and pro-people policies and humility with which he has been serving the people of Sikkim over the years. Today, the name Pawan Chamling has become synonymous with inclusive and sustainable development, path-breaking environmental initiatives, world leadership in Organic agriculture and the architect of one of the most progressive states of the country.

Thousands of people queued up at the official residence of the Chief Minister at Mintogang from early morning to congratulate the leader for achieving the unique feat on the day. Among the people who met him were Speaker, Cabinet Ministers, MPs, MLAs, Mayor, Panchayat Adyakshas and Upadhyakshas, Chief Secretary, senior officers of the State Government, party functionaries and people from all walks of live. The Chief Minister greeted everybody individually and accepted their best wishes. 

Speaking to the media, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling recorded his gratitude to his parents for having nurtured him and for making him capable to consistently serve the people of Sikkim. He shared that he learnt the basic tenets of humility and service from his parents. “By the time I was a youth, I had started believing that I have to live my life for the service of others,” he added. He thus started participating in social work before entering active politics, he informed. “From the very beginning, my political ideology was based on inclusive development, equality, freedom and right for all,” he stated.

He went on to share the journey of his political career from being a Panchayat President to this day, when he has become the longest serving Chief Minister of a State in the Indian Union. He shared that he and the party he leads have never once deviated from the promises and commitment made to the people in the very beginning. “Our politics is not driven by personal ambition but by the agenda of the people. It is our commitment and endeavour to ensure that the people of Sikkim of all socio-economic strata are empowered and self reliant,” stated Chamling.

“After serving the people of Sikkim for over 23 years, I am still energetic, positive and motivated to give my best. I don’t do politics for myself, I have no personal ambition, rather I am totally surrendered to serving the people. That is where I get my strength and motivation from,” stated the Chief Minister. 

“I thank the people of Sikkim because of whom I am here today, I thank the Central Government for their continued support and coordination, I thank the members of the media for putting our programs and policies across to the people, I thank my family for having supported me all through my journey and above all I thank my parents who are my closest God. I hold my parents in the highest esteem and whenever I make a promise or commitment to the people, I feel I am making the promise to my parents and thus never fail to keep them.”

DB Rai

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