# List of chief ministers of Sikkim

The chief minister of Sikkim is the popularly elected politician that heads the executive of the Government of Sikkim, the subnational authority of the Indian state of Sikkim. The chief minister acts as the head of government in the state, has formal presidency over the Council of Ministers and governs with the confidence of a majority in the elected Sikkim Legislative Assembly.
Following elections to the Sikkim Legislative Assembly, the governor usually invites the party (or coalition) with a majority of seats to form the government. As such, the chief minister typically sits as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) and leads the largest party or a coalition of parties. The governor appoints the chief minister, whose council of ministers are collectively responsible to the assembly. Given that he has the confidence of the assembly, the chief minister's term is for five years and is subject to no term limits. Since 1974, Sikkim has had five chief ministers. The first was Kazi Lhendup Dorjee of the Indian National Congress. Pawan Kumar Chamling of the Sikkim Democratic Front was the longest serving chief minister of Sikkim from 1994 to 2019. He occupied the office longer than all his predecessors put together and currently holds the record for longest serving CM in India. The 24 year old rule of Pawan Kumar Chamling ended in the 2019 Vidhan Sabha elections where Sikkim Krantikari Morcha emerged victorious. Prem Singh Tamang became chief minister on 27 May 2019.

## List

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)
| No. | Name | Term | Notes |
| President of the State Council |||||
| 1 | Palden Thondup Namgyal | 1944–1949 | Later reigned as the twelfth and last Chogyal, in 1963–1975. |
| Chief Minister |||||
| 2 | Tashi Tshering | 9 May 1949 – 6 June 1949 | |
| 3 | Harishwar Dayal | 6 June 1949 – 11 August 1949 | Interim |
| Dewan |||||
| 4 | John S. Lall | 11 August 1949 – 1954 | |
| 5 | Nari Kaikhosru Rustomji | 1954–1959 | |
| 6 | Baleshwar Prasad | 22 August 1959 – 1963 | |
| Principal Administrative Officer |||||
| 7 | Ramdas Narayan Haldipur | 1963–1969 | |
| Sidlon |||||
| 8 | Inder Sen Chopra | 1969 – July 1972 | |
| Chief Administrative Officer |||||
| 9 | Brajbir Saran Das | 9 April 1973 – 23 July 1974 | |
| Prime Minister |||||
| 10 | Kazi Lhendup Dorjee | 23 July 1974 – 16 May 1975 | Afterwards served as the first Chief Minister of Sikkim, in 1975–1979. |

## List of officeholders

| No | Portrait | Name | Constituency | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Elections | Party | Party |
| No | Portrait | Name | Constituency | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Elections | Party | Party |
| 1 | | Kazi Lhendup Dorjee | Tashiding | 16 May 1975 | 17 August 1979 | 4 years, 93 days | 1974 | Sikkim National Congress | |
| 1 | | Kazi Lhendup Dorjee | Tashiding | 16 May 1975 | 17 August 1979 | 4 years, 93 days | 1974 | Indian National Congress | |
| – | | Vacant (President's rule) | N/A | 18 August 1979 | 17 October 1979 | 60 days | - | N/A | |
| 2 | | Nar Bahadur Bhandari | Soreong | 18 October 1979 | 11 May 1984 | 4 years, 206 days | 1979 | Sikkim Janata Parishad | |
| 3 | | Bhim Bahadur Gurung | Jorthang-Nayabazar | 11 May 1984 | 25 May 1984 | 14 days | 1979 | Indian National Congress | |
| – | | Vacant (President's rule) | N/A | 25 May 1984 | 8 March 1985 | 287 days | - | N/A | |
| (2) | | Nar Bahadur Bhandari | Soreong | 8 March 1985 | 25 November 1989 | 9 years, 70 days | 1985 | Sikkim Sangram Parishad | |
| (2) | | Nar Bahadur Bhandari | Soreong | 26 November 1989 | 17 May 1994 | 9 years, 70 days | 1989 | Sikkim Sangram Parishad | |
| 4 | | Sanchaman Limboo | | 18 May 1994 | 12 December 1994 | 208 days | 1989 | Sikkim Sangram Parishad | |
| 5 | | Pawan Kumar Chamling | Damthang | 13 December 1994 | 10 October 1999 | 24 years, 165 days | 1994 | Sikkim Democratic Front | |
| 5 | | Pawan Kumar Chamling | Damthang | 11 October 1999 | 21 May 2004 | 24 years, 165 days | 1999 | Sikkim Democratic Front | |
| 5 | | Pawan Kumar Chamling | Damthang | 21 May 2004 | 20 May 2009 | 24 years, 165 days | 2004 | Sikkim Democratic Front | |
| 5 | | Pawan Kumar Chamling | Poklok-Kamrang | 20 May 2009 | 21 May 2014 | 24 years, 165 days | 2009 | Sikkim Democratic Front | |
| 5 | | Pawan Kumar Chamling | Namchi-Singhithang | 21 May 2014 | 27 May 2019 | 24 years, 165 days | 2014 | Sikkim Democratic Front | |
| 6 | | Prem Singh Tamang | Poklok-Kamrang | 27 May 2019 | 10 June 2024 | 5 years, 296 days | 2019 | Sikkim Krantikari Morcha | |
| 6 | | Prem Singh Tamang | Poklok-Kamrang | 10 June 2024 | Incumbent | 5 years, 296 days | 2024 | Sikkim Krantikari Morcha | |

## Statistics

| # | Chief Minister | Party | Party | Term of office | Term of office |
| # | Chief Minister | Party | Party | Longest continuous term | Total duration of chief ministership |
| 1 | Pawan Kumar Chamling | | SDF | 24 years, 165 days | 24 years, 165 days |
| 2 | Nar Bahadur Bhandari | | SJP/SSP | 9 years, 70 days | 13 years, 276 days |
| 3 | Prem Singh Tamang* | | SKM* | 5 years, 296 days* | 5 years, 296 days* |
| 4 | Kazi Lhendup Dorjee | | SNC/INC | 4 years, 93 days | 4 years, 93 days |
| 5 | Sanchaman Limboo | | SSP | 208 days | 208 days |
| 6 | Bhim Bahadur Gurung | | INC | 14 days | 14 days |