List Of Chief Minister of Puducherry [1963-2026]: The Union Territory of Puducherry, which comprises the former French establishments of Pudicherry, Karaikal, Mahe, and Yanam, lies in South India. Puducherry, the capital of the territory, was once the original headquarters of the French in India, and it was de facto transferred to India on 1 November 1954, and the de jure transfer took place on 16 August 1962. However, it was the enactment of the Government of Union Territories Act on 10 May 1963, coming into force on 1 July 1963, that formally introduced elected governance with a legislative assembly and a chief minister.
Who is the Current Chief Minister of Puducherry?
N. Rangaswamy is the current Chief Minister of Puducherry, heading the government for a historic fifth time. The 2026 Puducherry Legislative Assembly elections were held on 9 April 2026, and results were declared on 4 May 2026. Rangaswamy’s AINRC-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), in alliance with the BJP, AIADMK, and the newly formed Latchiya Jananayaka Katchi (LJK), secured 18 seats in the 30-member House, comfortably crossing the majority mark of 16.
| Detail | Information |
| Name | N. Rangaswamy (Natesan Krishnasamy Gounder Rangaswamy) |
| Date of Birth | 4 August 1950 |
| Party | All India N.R. Congress (AINRC) |
| Alliance | National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with BJP, AIADMK, LJK |
| Current Term Began | 7 May 2021 (4th term); continuing after 2026 election win |
| Total Terms as CM | 5 (2001, 2006, 2011, 2021, 2026) |
| Constituencies Won (2026) | Thattanchavady and Mangalam |
| NDA Seats Won (2026) | 18 out of 30 |
| Known As | “Junior Kamaraj” |
List Of Chief Minister of Puducherry [1963-2026]
Below we have provided a list of all the Chief Ministers of Puducherry.
| S.No. | Chief Minister | Tenure | Party |
| 1. | Edouard Goubert | 1 July 1963-24 August 1964 | Indian National Congress |
| 2. | V. Venkatasubha Reddiar | 11 September 1964-9 April 1967 | |
| 3. | M. O. H. Farook | 9 April 1967-6 March 1968 | |
| 4. | V. Venkatasubha Reddiar | 6 March 1968-18 September 1968 | |
| President’s Rule | 18 September 1968-17 March 1969 | ||
| 5. | M. O. H. Farook | 17 March 1969-3 January 1974 | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| President’s Rule | 3 January 1974-6 March 1974 | ||
| 6. | Subramanyan Ramaswamy | 6 March 1974-28 March 1974 | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| President’s Rule | 28 March 1974-2 July 1977 | ||
| 7. | Subramanyan Ramaswamy | 2 July 1977-12 November 1978 | All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| President’s Rule | 12 November 1978-16 January 1980 | ||
| 8. | M. D. R. Ramachandran | 16 January 1980-24 June 1983 | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| President’s Rule | 24 June 1983-16 March 1985 | ||
| 9. | M. O. H. Farook | 16 March 1985-4 March 1990 | Indian National Congress |
| 10. | M. D. R. Ramachandran | 8 March 1990-3 March 1991 | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| President’s Rule | 3 March 1991-4 July 1991 | ||
| 11. | V. Vaithilingam | 4 July 1991-13 May 1996 | Indian National Congress |
| 12. | R. V. Janakiraman | 26 May 1996-21 March 2000 | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam |
| 13. | P. Shanmugam | 22 March 2000-26 October 2001 | Indian National Congress |
| 14. | N. Rangaswamy | 27 October 2001-4 September 2008 | |
| 15. | V. Vaithilingam | 4 September 2008-16 May 2011 | |
| 16. | N. Rangaswamy | 16 May 2011-6 June 2016 | All India N.R. Congress |
| 17. | V. Narayanasamy | 6 June 2016-22 February 2021 | Indian National Congress |
| President’s Rule | 23 February 2021-7 May 2021 | ||
| 18. | N. Rangasamy | 7 May 2021-Incumbent | All India N.R. Congress |
Key Facts at a Glance
- First Chief Minister: Edouard Goubert (1963)
- Current Chief Minister: N. Rangaswamy (since May 2021)
- Longest-Serving Chief Minister: N. Rangaswamy (over 16 years across multiple terms)
- Shortest Tenure: Edouard Goubert (approximately 1 year and 71 days)
- Total Chief Ministers: 10 individuals
- Total Tenures: 20
- Times under President’s Rule: 7
