Chief Ministers of India 2023: Article 164 of the Indian Constitution outlines the process for selecting the Chief Minister of a state or Union Territory (UT). The Governor plays a crucial role as the appointing authority in this selection. Furthermore, Article 167 highlights the Chief Minister’s role as a link between the Governor and the state council of ministers.
While the constitution doesn’t explicitly mention educational qualifications for the Chief Minister position, it doesn’t mean the Governor can freely appoint anyone. In this article, we’ll present a comprehensive list of Chief Ministers and Governors for all Indian states and Union Territories.
Current Chief Ministers of India
In India, every state and union territory has a chief minister, who is the head of the government. The governor appoints the chief minister, but they need to have the support of the majority in the state legislative assembly.
The governor, appointed by the President of India, serves as the constitutional head of the state/territory and has powers such as dissolving the legislative assembly and appointing the chief minister. Here’s a quick list of the current state/territory heads in India for 2023: Chief Minister and Governor.
| Current Chief Ministers of India | |||
| States | Chief Minister | Tenour of CM | Governer |
| Andhra Pradesh | Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy | 30 May 2019(4 years, 196 days) | S. Abdul Nazeer |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Pema Khandu | 17 July 2016(7 years, 148 days) | Lt. General Kaiwalya Trivikram Parnaik |
| Assam | Himanta Biswa Sarma | 10 May 2021(2 years, 216 days) | Gulab Chand Kataria |
| Bihar | Nitish Kumar | 22 February 2015(8 years, 293 days) | Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar |
| Chhattisgarh | Vishnu Deo Sai | 13 December 2023(−1 day) | Justice (Retd) Biswa Bhusan Harichandan |
| Goa | Pramod Sawant | 19 March 2019(4 years, 268 days) | P.S. Sgreedharan |
| Gujarat | Bhupendra Patel | 13 September 2021(2 years, 90 days) | Acharaya Devvrat |
| Haryana | Manohar Lal Khattar | 26 October 2014(9 years, 47 days) | Bandaru Dattatraya |
| Himachal Pradesh | Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu | 11 December 2022(1 year, 1 day) | Shiv Pratap Shukla |
| Jharkhand | Hemant Soren | 29 December 2019(3 years, 348 days | C.P. Radhakrishnan |
| Karnataka | Siddaramaiah | 20 May 2023(206 days) | Thawar Chand Gehlot |
| Kerala | Pinarayi Vijayan | 25 May 2016(7 years, 201 days) | Arif Mohammed Khan |
| Madhya Pradesh | Mohan Yadav | TBD | Mangubhai Chaganbhai Patel |
| Maharashtra | Eknath Shinde | 30 June 2022(1 year, 165 days) | Ramesh Bais |
| Manipur | N. Biren Singh | 15 March 2017(6 years, 272 days) | Anusuiya Uikye |
| Meghalaya | Conrad Kongkal Sangma | 6 March 2018(5 years, 281 days) | Phagu Chauhan |
| Mizoram | Lalduhoma | 8 December 2023(4 days) | Dr. Kambhampati Haribabu |
| Nagaland | Neiphiu Rio | 8 March 2018(5 years, 279 days) | Shri La. Ganesan |
| Odisha | Naveen Patnaik | 5 March 2000(23 years, 282 days) | Raghubar Das |
| Punjab | Bhagwant Singh Mann | 16 March 2022(1 year, 271 days) | Shri Banwarilal Purohit |
| Rajasthan | Bhajan Lal Sharma | Kalraj Mishra | |
| Sikkim | Prem Singh Tamang | 27 May 2019(4 years, 199 days) | Lakshman Prasad Acharya |
| Tamil Nadu | M.K Stalin | 7 May 2021(2 years, 219 days) | R.N. Ravi |
| Telangana | Anumula Revanth Reddy | 7 December 2023(5 days) | Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan |
| Tripura | Dr. Manik Saha | 15 May 2022(1 year, 211 days) | Indra Sena Reddy Nallu |
| Uttar Pradesh | Yogi Adityanath | 19 March 2017(6 years, 268 days) | Anandiben Patel |
| Uttarakhand | Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami | 4 July 2021(2 years, 161 days) | Gurmit Singh |
| West Bengal | Mamata Banerjee | 20 May 2011(12 years, 206 days) | Dr CV Ananda Bose |
Union Territory Governors of India List
The list of Union Territory Governors of India is given in the table below:
| Union Territory Governors of India List | ||
| Union Territory | Governor | Capital |
| Andaman & Nicobar | Shri. Devendra Kumar Joshi (Lieutenant Governor) | Port Blair |
| Chandigarh | Shri Banwarilal Purohit (Administrator) | Chandigarh |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Shri Praful Patel (Administrator) | Daman |
| Delhi | Vinal Kumar Saxena (Lieutenant Governor) | New Delhi |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Shri Manoj Sinha (Lieutenant Governor) | Srinagar |
| Lakshadweep | Shri Praful Patel (Administrator) | Kavaratti |
| Puducherry | Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan | Puducherry |
| Ladakh | Brig (Dr) B D Mishra (Retd) | Leh |
Selection and Powers of Chief Minister of India
Selecting a chief minister in India doesn’t follow a specific constitutional procedure. As outlined in Article 164, the state government is responsible for appointing the chief minister. To be eligible for the position, a person must be an Indian citizen, at least 25 years old, and a member of either the legislative assembly or legislative council.
If someone, who is an Indian citizen but not a member of the legislative assembly or council, is appointed, they must secure election within six months. Failing to do so disqualifies them from becoming the chief minister.
The chief minister wields several powers, including the ability to assign and rearrange ministerial portfolios. In case the chief minister resigns, the entire cabinet must also step down.
The chief minister guides, controls, and directs the activities of all ministers, and in the event of disagreements, can request a minister’s resignation. Additionally, the chief minister can advise the government on appointing individuals to ministerial positions.
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Selection and Powers of Governor of India
In India, the president appoints the governor for each state, and it’s the central government’s responsibility to make the nomination. Unlike the president, the governor is not elected directly or indirectly. The governor’s role is independent of the union government, and they serve as the executive head of the state to which they are appointed.
To qualify as a governor, a person must be an Indian citizen and at least 35 years old. When nominating a governor, the government follows two conventions. First, the appointee should not have any prior association with the state; they are considered an outsider.
Second, before the president makes the appointment, the chief minister’s opinion is consulted. The governor represents the executive authority in the state, and all executive actions in the state are carried out in their name.
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Chief Ministers of India in Constitution
Article 163 of the Indian Constitution outlines that the Chief Minister, who leads the council of ministers, provides guidance to the governor. According to Article 164, the governor appoints the Chief Minister as per the constitutional provisions. Serving as a crucial bridge, Article 167 establishes the Chief Minister’s role in connecting the Governor with the state council of ministers.
Current Chief Ministers of India FAQs
Q.1. How are Chief Ministers selected in India?
Ans. Chief Ministers are appointed by the governor as per Article 164 of the Indian Constitution. They must have the support of the majority in the state legislative assembly.
Q.2. Are there educational qualifications for the Chief Minister position?
Ans. The constitution does not specify educational qualifications for Chief Ministers. However, support from the legislative assembly is crucial for the appointment.
Q3. Who appoints the governor in India?
Ans. The president of India appoints governors for each state. Governors are not elected directly or indirectly but are nominated by the central government.
Q.4. What are the eligibility criteria for a Chief Minister?
Ans. A Chief Minister must be an Indian citizen, at least 25 years old, and a member of either the legislative assembly or legislative council. Non-members must secure election within six months of appointment.
Q.5. Can a Chief Minister be appointed from outside the legislative assembly?
Ans. Yes, but they must secure election within six months. Failure to do so disqualifies them from continuing as Chief Minister.
