Last Updated on July 15, 2026 by Parikshit
Key Takeaways
- Bhagwant Mann is the current Chief Minister of Punjab, who took the oath as Punjab’s CM on 16 March 2022.
- Gopi Chand Bhargava was the first Chief Minister of Punjab from 15 Aug 1947 to 13 Apr 1949
- Rajinder Kaur Bhattal was the first and only female Chief Minister of Punjab from 21 Nov 1996 to 11 Feb 1997.
Chief Minister of Punjab: The chief minister of Punjab is the head of the government of Punjab, and he/she has the de facto executive authority, while the governor of Punjab holds the de jure position as the head of the state, mentioned in Article 164 of the Indian Constitution.
Currently, Bhagwant Mann is the Chief Minister of Punjab, who assumed the office on March 16, 2022. Here, in this article, explore the complete list of Chief Ministers of Punjab from 1947 to 2026, with their tenure, party, and constituency.
Chief Ministers of Punjab: Key Facts at a Glance
| Feature | Detail |
| Current Chief Minister | Bhagwant Mann |
| First Chief Minister | Gopi Chand Bhargava |
| Longest Serving CM of Punjab | Parkash Singh Badal (18 years, 350 days) |
| First Female CM | Rajinder Kaur Bhattal |
| Appointing Authority | Governor of Punjab |
| Official Residence of CM | Room No. 1, 2nd Floor, Punjab Civil Secretariat, Sector 1, Chandigarh – 160001. |
| Total Number of CMs | 17 Individuals |
List of Chief Minister of Punjab (1947-2026)
There have been a total of 17 individual Chief Ministers of Punjab since 1947. Here you can see the complete list of Chief Ministers of Punjab from 1947 to 2026 given below in the table format with their tenure, party, and constituency.
| S.No. | Chief Minister | Tenure | Party | Constituency |
| 1 | Gopi Chand Bhargava | 15 Aug 1947 – 13 Apr 1949 | Indian National Congress | University (graduates seat) |
| 2 | Bhim Sen Sachar | 13 Apr 1949 – 18 Oct 1949 | Indian National Congress | Not confirmed |
| (1) | Gopi Chand Bhargava | 18 Oct 1949 – 20 Jun 1951 | Indian National Congress | Not confirmed |
| — | President’s Rule | 20 Jun 1951 – 17 Apr 1952 | — | — |
| (2) | Bhim Sen Sachar | 17 Apr 1952 – 23 Jan 1956 | Indian National Congress | Not confirmed |
| 3 | Partap Singh Kairon | 23 Jan 1956 – 21 Jun 1964 | Indian National Congress | Not confirmed |
| (1) | Gopi Chand Bhargava | 21 Jun 1964 – 6 Jul 1964 | Indian National Congress | Not confirmed |
| 4 | Ram Kishan | 7 Jul 1964 – 5 Jul 1966 | Indian National Congress | Not confirmed |
| — | President’s Rule | 5 Jul 1966 – 1 Nov 1966 | — | — |
| 5 | Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir | 1 Nov 1966 – 8 Mar 1967 | Indian National Congress | Member of Legislative Council (not an assembly seat) |
| 6 | Gurnam Singh | 8 Mar 1967 – 25 Nov 1967 | Akali Dal – Sant Fateh Singh (BJS–CPI) | Not confirmed |
| 7 | Lachhman Singh Gill | 25 Nov 1967 – 23 Aug 1968 | Punjab Janta Party (INC) | Not confirmed |
| — | President’s Rule | 23 Aug 1968 – 17 Feb 1969 | — | — |
| (6) | Gurnam Singh | 17 Feb 1969 – 27 Mar 1970 | SAD–BJS | Not confirmed |
| 8 | Parkash Singh Badal | 27 Mar 1970 – 14 Jun 1971 | Shiromani Akali Dal (BJS) | Gidderbaha |
| — | President’s Rule | 14 Jun 1971 – 17 Mar 1972 | — | — |
| 9 | Zail Singh | 17 Mar 1972 – 30 Apr 1977 | Indian National Congress | Not confirmed |
| — | President’s Rule | 30 Apr 1977 – 20 Jun 1977 | — | — |
| (8) | Parkash Singh Badal | 20 Jun 1977 – 17 Feb 1980 | Shiromani Akali Dal (JP–CPI) | Gidderbaha |
| — | President’s Rule | 17 Feb 1980 – 6 Jun 1980 | — | — |
| 10 | Darbara Singh | 6 Jun 1980 – 6 Oct 1983 | Indian National Congress | Not confirmed |
| — | President’s Rule | 6 Oct 1983 – 29 Sep 1985 | — | — |
| 11 | Surjit Singh Barnala | 29 Sep 1985 – 11 Jun 1987 | Shiromani Akali Dal | Not confirmed |
| — | President’s Rule | 11 Jun 1987 – 25 Feb 1992 | — | — |
| 12 | Beant Singh | 25 Feb 1992 – 31 Aug 1995 | Indian National Congress | Not confirmed |
| 13 | Harcharan Singh Brar | 31 Aug 1995 – 21 Nov 1996 | Indian National Congress | Not confirmed |
| 14 | Rajinder Kaur Bhattal | 21 Nov 1996 – 11 Feb 1997 | Indian National Congress | Not confirmed for 1996 term (contested Lehra in later years) |
| (8) | Parkash Singh Badal | 12 Feb 1997 – 26 Feb 2002 | Shiromani Akali Dal (BJP) | Gidderbaha |
| 15 | Amarinder Singh | 26 Feb 2002 – 1 Mar 2007 | Indian National Congress | Patiala |
| (8) | Parkash Singh Badal | 1 Mar 2007 – 16 Mar 2017 | Shiromani Akali Dal (BJP) | Lambi |
| (15) | Amarinder Singh | 16 Mar 2017 – 18 Sep 2021 | Indian National Congress | Patiala |
| 16 | Charanjit Singh Channi | 20 Sep 2021 – 16 Mar 2022 | Indian National Congress | Chamkaur Sahib |
| 17 | Bhagwant Mann | 16 Mar 2022 – Incumbent | Aam Aadmi Party | Dhuri |
Who is the Current Chief Minister of Punjab?
Bhagwant Mann is the current Chief Minister of Punjab. He took the oath as Punjab’s 17th CM on 16 March 2022. He is a prominent leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, and he belongs to the Dhuri constituency in Punjab.
Who was the First Chief Minister of Punjab?
Gopi Chand Bhargava was the first Chief Minister of Punjab. He was one of the prominent political leaders under the Indian National Congress during 1947 in the Punjab regions.
He was born on 3 November 1889, and he played an important role in the pre-independence era, contributing to the freedom movement against British colonial rules.
During his leadership, he always stabilised the newly formed state, focusing on rehabilitation efforts on refugees, and worked on administrative challenges in the state.
Who is the Longest Serving Chief Minister of Punjab?
Parkash Singh Badal is the longest-serving Chief Minister of Punjab. He had served four terms as a Chief Minister of Punjab, given below:
| Term | Tenure | Duration |
| 1st Term | 27 March 1970 – 14 June 1971 | 1 year, 79 days |
| 2nd Term | 20 June 1977 – 17 February 1980 | 2 years, 242 days |
| 3rd Term | 12 February 1997 – 26 February 2002 | 5 years, 14 days |
| 4th Term | 1 March 2007 – 16 March 2017 | 10 years, 15 days |
| Total Tenure | Across four terms | 18 years, 350 days |
Who was the First Female Chief Minister of Punjab?
Rajinder Kaur Bhattal was the first female Chief Minister of Punjab and the 14th Chief Minister of Punjab from 1996 to 1997. She belongs to the Indian National Congress. Till 2026, she is the only female Chief Minister of Punjab.
