Chief Ministers
Key Concepts
| # | Concept | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chief Minister (CM) | Real head of a state government; appointed by the Governor. |
| 2 | Article 164 | Constitutional provision for appointment of CM by the Governor. |
| 3 | Longest-serving CM (current) | Pawan Kumar Chamling – Sikkim (24 yrs 165 days, 1994-2019). |
| 4 | First woman CM | Sucheta Kripalani – Uttar Pradesh (1963-67). |
| 5 | Youngest CM ever | Pema Khandu (Arunachal) sworn at 36 yrs; M.O. Hasan Farook (Puducherry) was 29. |
| 6 | CM of a Union Territory | Only Delhi & Puducherry have CMs; other UTs are administered by Administrators. |
| 7 | Collective responsibility | CM & Council of Ministers are collectively responsible to State Legislative Assembly. |
| 8 | “Acting” CM | If CM resigns/dies, Governor may ask senior-most minister to discharge duties till new CM is sworn. |
15 Practice MCQs
Who is the current Chief Minister of Rajasthan as on 25 Dec 2025? Options:
A. Vasundhara Raje
B. Ashok Gehlot
C. Bhajan Lal Sharma
D. Sachin Pilot
Answer: C. Bhajan Lal Sharma (sworn-in Dec 2023 after Assembly elections)
Shortcut: “RA-jasthan → BHa-jan” (BHA-jan sounds like RA-jasthan)
Tag: States-in-newsWhich state has YS Jagan Mohan Reddy as its Chief Minister? Options:
A. Telangana
B. Karnataka
C. Andhra Pradesh
D. Odisha
Answer: C. Andhra Pradesh
Shortcut: “Jagan → Andhra” (rhymes)
Tag: Southern statesThe first Chief Minister of the newly formed state of Telangana (2014) was: Options:
A. K. Chandrashekar Rao
B. E. S. L. Narasimhan
C. Revanth Reddy
D. Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao
Answer: A. K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR)
Shortcut: “KCR → Karimnagar → Telangana”
Tag: Formation yearWho among the following is the only woman Chief Minister currently in office (Dec 2025)? Options:
A. Mamata Banerjee
B. Mayawati
C. Vasundhara Raje
D. Jayalalithaa
Answer: A. Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal)
Shortcut: “Mamata → M=Main Lady CM now”
Tag: Women in politicsThe longest continuously serving Chief Minister of any Indian state is: Options:
A. Narendra Modi
B. Pawan Kumar Chamling
C. Naveen Patnaik
D. Jyoti Basu
Answer: B. Pawan Kumar Chamling (Sikkim, 1994-2019)
Shortcut: “Chamling → Champa→ 24 years long fragrance”
Tag: RecordsWhich of the following pairs is wrongly matched? Options:
A. Maharashtra – Eknath Shinde
B. Tamil Nadu – M. K. Stalin
C. Gujarat – Bhupendra Patel
D. Kerala – Pinarayi Vijayan
Answer: A. Maharashtra – Eknath Shinde (correct as of Dec 2025; trick: check year)
Shortcut: “E-Shinde → 2022 rebellion, still CM”
Tag: Pair-matchingThe Chief Minister of which state is known by the nickname “Mama”? Options:
A. Madhya Pradesh
B. Chhattisgarh
C. Uttar Pradesh
D. Haryana
Answer: A. Madhya Pradesh (Shivraj Singh Chouhan)
Shortcut: “MP→Mama Pradesh”
Tag: NicknamesWhich Union Territory has a Chief Minister? Options:
A. Chandigarh
B. Lakshadweep
C. Delhi
D. Andaman & Nicobar
Answer: C. Delhi
Shortcut: “D=Democracy→Delhi has CM”
Tag: UTsWho succeeded Hemant Soren as CM of Jharkhand in 2024? Options:
A. Champai Soren
B. Raghubar Das
C. Arjun Munda
D. Shibu Soren
Answer: A. Champai Soren
Shortcut: “Hemant→Champai (both ‘Soren’ surname)”
Tag: Recent changesThe youngest state (formed 2014) and its current CM (Dec 2025) is: Options:
A. Telangana – Revanth Reddy
B. Chhattisgarh – Vishnu Deo Sai
C. Uttarakhand – Pushkar Dhami
D. Jharkhand – Champai Soren
Answer: A. Telangana – Revanth Reddy (sworn Dec 2023)
Shortcut: “2014→T for Telangana→T for Top young state”
Tag: Formation¤tMatch the state with its CM: 1. Assam 2. Himachal 3. Meghalaya 4. Tripura Options:
A. 1-Sarma 2-Sukhu 3-Sangma 4-Deb
B. 1-Sarma 2-Jai Ram 3-Sangma 4-Saha
C. 1-Sarma 2-Sukhu 3-Conrad 4-Manik
D. 1-Rijiju 2-Sukhu 3-Sangma 4-Deb
Answer: A. 1-Sarma 2-Sukhu 3-Conrad Sangma 4-Deb (Manik Saha replaced Biplab Deb in 2022, still CM)
Shortcut: “All names end with ‘a’ except Sukhu; HP=Congress=Sukhu”
Tag: North-eastWho is the Chief Minister of Bihar as on 25 Dec 2025? Options:
A. Nitish Kumar
B. Tejashwi Yadav
C. Sushil Modi
D. Jitan Ram Manjhi
Answer: A. Nitish Kumar (8th term after 2024 oath)
Shortcut: “Bihar→Nitish→Never-ending CM”
Tag: Repeated termsWhich state CM launched the “Ladli Behna” scheme in 2023? Options:
A. MP
B. UP
C. Rajasthan
D. Gujarat
Answer: A. Madhya Pradesh (Shivraj Singh Chouhan)
Shortcut: “Ladli→L=Lady→M=Mama’s scheme”
Tag: SchemesThe Chief Minister of Odisha belongs to which party? Options:
A. BJD
B. BJP
C. INC
D. JMM
Answer: A. BJD (Naveen Patnaik till 2024; after 2024 election BJP’s Mohan Charan Majhi became CM)
Shortcut: “2024 switch→Odisha=Lotus bloom”
Tag: Party changeIf President’s Rule is imposed in a state, who becomes the executive head? Options:
A. Chief Minister
B. Governor
C. President
D. Prime Minister
Answer: B. Governor
Shortcut: “President Rule→GoverNor takes chair”
Tag: Constitution
Speed Tricks
| Situation | Shortcut | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Southern states | “K-TAM-KER-AP-TEL” → Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra, Telangana | CMs: Sidda, Stalin, Vijayan, Jagan, Revanth |
| BJP-ruled large states (Dec 2025) | “3G-2M-UP-Guj-MP-Maha” | Gujarat, UP, MP, Maharashtra |
| NE states capitals vs CM | “Sikkim-Gangtok-Prem Singh; Manipur-Imphal-Biren” | Remember first letter match: S-G-P, M-I-B |
| Women CMs ever | “Sucheta-Vasundhara-Mayawati-Jayalalithaa-Mamata” | Only Mamata in office now |
| UTs with legislature | “D-P” → Delhi & Puducherry only | CM possible here |
Quick Revision
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| 1 | Appointed by Governor; need majority support in Assembly. |
| 2 | No fixed term; holds office during pleasure of Governor (as long as enjoys majority). |
| 3 | CM of Delhi is also called “Chief Minister of National Capital Territory”. |
| 4 | Strength of Council of Ministers max 15% of total strength of Assembly (91st AA). |
| 5 | If CM loses vote of confidence, must resign or recommend dissolution. |
| 6 | Oath to CM administered by Governor under Article 164. |
| 7 | CM allocates portfolios to ministers; can reshuffle. |
| 8 | Only CM can advise Governor on summoning/proroguing Assembly. |
| 9 | In money bills, prior recommendation of CM (through Governor) is mandatory. |
| 10 | Updated list: always check last election year (Nov 2023 for 5 states; 2024 for Odisha, AP, Sikkim, Arunachal). |
BETA
