- Chief Minister Siddaramaiah equals the record of D. Devaraj Urs as Chief Minister with the longest tenure in Karnataka. Both hailed from Mysuru.
Karnataka’s Longest-Serving Chief Ministers
While Karnataka is known for its competitive and often volatile political landscape, a few leaders have managed to maintain extended leadership across multiple terms.
| Chief Minister | Party | Total Tenure | Key Contributions |
| Siddaramaiah | Congress | 7 years, 240+ days | AHINDA leadership, “Guarantee” welfare schemes. |
| D. Devaraj Urs | Congress | 7 years, 239 days | Landmark land reforms and social justice policies. |
| S. Nijalingappa | Congress | 7 years, 175 days | Architect of modern unified Karnataka. |
| Ramakrishna Hegde | Janata | ~5 years, 214 days | Decentralization and Panchayat Raj reforms. |
| B.S. Yediyurappa | BJP | ~5 years (total) | Focus on agriculture and infrastructure. |
List of Chief Ministers of Karnataka (1947–2026)
| No. | Chief Minister | Tenure | Party |
| 1 | K. C. Reddy | 1947–1952 | Congress |
| 2 | Kengal Hanumanthaiah | 1952–1956 | Congress |
| 3 | Kadidal Manjappa | 1956 (Aug–Oct) | Congress |
| 4 | S. Nijalingappa | 1956–1958 | Congress |
| 5 | B. D. Jatti | 1958–1962 | Congress |
| 6 | S. R. Kanthi | 1962 (Mar–Jun) | Congress |
| 7 | S. Nijalingappa | 1962–1968 | Congress |
| 8 | Veerendra Patil | 1968–1971 | Congress |
| 9 | D. Devaraj Urs | 1972–1977 | Congress |
| 10 | D. Devaraj Urs | 1978–1980 | Congress |
| 11 | R. Gundu Rao | 1980–1983 | Congress |
| 12 | Ramakrishna Hegde | 1983–1988 | Janata Party |
| 13 | S. R. Bommai | 1988–1989 | Janata Dal |
| 14 | Veerendra Patil | 1989–1990 | Congress |
| 15 | S. Bangarappa | 1990–1992 | Congress |
| 16 | M. Veerappa Moily | 1992–1994 | Congress |
| 17 | H. D. Deve Gowda | 1994–1996 | Janata Dal |
| 18 | J. H. Patel | 1996–1999 | Janata Dal |
| 19 | S. M. Krishna | 1999–2004 | Congress |
| 20 | N. Dharam Singh | 2004–2006 | Congress |
| 21 | H. D. Kumaraswamy | 2006–2007 | JD(S) |
| 22 | B. S. Yediyurappa | 2007 (Nov) | BJP |
| 23 | B. S. Yediyurappa | 2008–2011 | BJP |
| 24 | D. V. Sadananda Gowda | 2011–2012 | BJP |
| 25 | Jagadish Shettar | 2012–2013 | BJP |
| 26 | Siddaramaiah | 2013–2018 | Congress |
| 27 | H. D. Kumaraswamy | 2018–2019 | JD(S) |
| 28 | B. S. Yediyurappa | 2019–2021 | BJP |
| 29 | Basavaraj Bommai | 2021–2023 | BJP |
| 30 | Siddaramaiah | 2023–Present | Congress |
India’s Longest-Serving Chief Ministers
Nationally, the benchmarks for “long tenure” are significantly higher. In several states, regional dominance has allowed leaders to stay in power for over two decades.
| Chief Minister | State | Tenure Duration | Political Context |
| Pawan Kumar Chamling | Sikkim | 24 years, 165 days | Longest continuous tenure in Indian history. |
| Naveen Patnaik | Odisha | 24 years, 99 days | Led Odisha from 2000 until June 2024. |
| Jyoti Basu | West Bengal | 23 years, 137 days | Iconic leader of the Left Front in Bengal. |
| Gegong Apang | Arunachal | 22 years, 250 days | Significant leadership in Northeast India. |
| Lal Thanhawla | Mizoram | 22 years, 60 days | Multiple terms across several decades. |