Women in politics: India’s female chief ministers
Mamata Banerjee, who has emerged as the main center in the nation’s political powerplay, is now one of the longest-serving female chief ministers in the history of India.
Besides her, only former Delhi CM Sheila Dixit had won three consecutive terms, staying in office for 15 years.
J. Jayalalithaa, who served as chief minister of Tamil Nadu from All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), has the second-longest tenure.
She held the post until her death in 2016 and became the first female chief minister to die in the office, While V. N. Janaki Ramachandran of the same state and party had the shortest tenure (only 23 days).
There have been 16 Female chief ministers in India since 1963.
Sucheta Kripalani is the first female chief minister in India, who was sworn in on 2 October 1963 as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.
Out of 28 states and eight union territories in India, only 12 states and one union territory had a female chief minister.
Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal is India’s only incumbent female chief minister.
India’s female chief ministers
IMAGE | NAME | STATE/UNION TERRITORY | POLITICAL PARTY | ASSUMED OFFICE | LEFT OFFICE | TIME PERIOD (DAYS) |
 | Sucheta Kripalani | Uttar Pradesh | Indian National Congress | 2 October 1963 | 13 March 1967 | 1258 |
 | Nandini Satpathy | Odisha | Indian National Congress | 14 June 1972 6 March 1974 | 3 March 1973 16 December 1976 | 1278 |
 | Shashikala Kakodkar | Goa | Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party | 12 August 1973 | 27 April 1979 | 2084 |
| | Anwara Taimur | Assam | Indian National Congress | 6 December 1980 | 30 June 1981 | 206 |
 | V. N. Janaki Ramachandran | Tamil Nadu | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) | 7 January 1988 | 30 January 1988 | 23 |
 | J. Jayalalithaa | Tamil Nadu | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) | 24 June 1991 14 May 2001 2 March 2002 16 May 2011 23 May 2015 | 12 May 1996 21 September 2001 12 May 2006 27 September 2014 5 December 2016 | 5238 |
 | Mayawati | Uttar Pradesh | Bahujan Samaj Party | 13 June 1995 21 March 1997 3 May 2002 13 May 2007 | 18 October 1995 21 September 1997 29 August 2003 15 March 2012 | 2562 |
 | Rajinder Kaur Bhattal | Punjab | Indian National Congress | 21 November 1996 | 12 February 1997 | 83 |
 | Rabri Devi | Bihar | Rashtriya Janata Dal | 25 July 1997 9 March 1999 11 March 2000 | 11 February 1999 2 March 2000 6 March 2005 | 2746 |
 | Sushma Swaraj | National Capital Territory of Delhi | Bharatiya Janata Party | 12 October 1998 | 3 December 1998 | 52 |
 | Sheila Dikshit | National Capital Territory of Delhi | Indian National Congress | 3 December 1998 | 28 December 2013 | 5504 |
 | Uma Bharti | Madhya Pradesh | Bharatiya Janata Party | 8 December 2003 | 23 August 2004 | 259 |
 | Vasundhara Raje | Rajasthan | Bharatiya Janata Party | 8 December 2003 8 December 2013 | 11 December 2008 16 December 2018 | 3659 |
 | Mamata Banerjee | West Bengal | All India Trinamool Congress | 20 May 2011 | Incumbent | 3989 |
 | Anandiben Patel | Gujarat | Bharatiya Janata Party | 22 May 2014 | 7 August 2016 | 808 |
 | Mehbooba Mufti | Jammu and Kashmir | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party | 4 April 2016 | 20 June 2018 | 807 |