View source for Chief Minister of Puducherry

{{Short description|Leader of the executive of the Government of Puducherry}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox official post
|post            = [[Chief minister (India)|Chief Minister]]
|body            = [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]]
|native_name     = {{lang|ta-Latn|Putuccēri Mutalamaiccar}}
|insignia        = Emblem of the Government of Puducherry.png
|insigniacaption = [[Emblem of Puducherry]]
|image           = N Rangaswamy.jpg
|incumbent       = [[N. Rangasamy]]
|incumbentsince  = 7 May 2021
|style           = {{plainlist|
*[[The Honourable]] (formal)
*Mr. Chief Minister (informal)
}}
|type            = [[Head of government]]
|status          = Leader of the Executive
|abbreviation    = CMOPY
|member_of       = *[[Puducherry Legislative Assembly]]
*Puducherry Council of Ministers
|reports_to      = *[[Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry]]
*[[Puducherry Legislative Assembly]]
|appointer       = [[Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry]]
|formation       = {{start date and age|df=y|1963|07|01}}
|first           = [[Edouard Goubert]]
|website         = {{URL|https://py.gov.in/chief-minister|Official website}}
}}
The '''chief minister of Puducherry''' is the [[head of government|chief executive]] of the [[India]]n [[union territory]] of [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]]. In accordance with the [[Constitution of India]], the [[lieutenant governor]] is a union territory's ''[[de jure]]'' head, but ''[[de facto]]'' executive authority rests with the [[Chief minister (India)|chief minister]]. Following elections to the [[Puducherry Legislative Assembly]], the [[Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry|lieutenant governor]] usually invites the party (or coalition) with a majority of seats to form the [[Government of Puducherry|government]]. The lieutenant governor appoints the chief minister, whose [[Cabinet (government)|council of ministers]] are [[Cabinet collective responsibility|collectively responsible]] to the assembly. Given that he has the confidence of the assembly, the chief minister's term is for five years and is subject to no [[term limit]]s.<ref>[[Durga Das Basu]]. ''Introduction to the Constitution of India''. 1960. 20th Edition, 2011 Reprint. pp. 241, 245. LexisNexis Butterworths Wadhwa Nagpur. {{ISBN|978-81-8038-559-9}}. Note: although the text talks about Indian union territory governments in general, it applies for the specific case of Puducherry as well.</ref>

Since 1963, [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]] has had 10 [[Chief minister (India)|chief ministers]]. The [[List of longest-serving Indian chief ministers|longest-serving]] and current chief minister, [[N. Rangasamy]] from the [[All India N.R. Congress]], held the office for over fifteen years in multiple tenures. The former [[governor of Kerala]] [[M. O. H. Farook]] has the second-longest tenure, and [[V. Vaithilingam]] from the [[Indian National Congress]] has the third-longest tenure. The inaugural holder [[Edouard Goubert]] from the Indian National Congress has the shortest tenure (only 1 year, 71 days). There have been seven instances of [[president's rule]] in Puducherry, most recently in 2021.

The [[List of current Indian chief ministers|current incumbent]] is [[N. Rangasamy]] of the [[All India N.R. Congress]] since 7 May 2021.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/puducherry/rangasamy-sworn-in-puducherry-cm/article34510067.ece|title=Rangasamy sworn in Puducherry CM|date=7 May 2021|work=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=10 May 2021|archive-date=26 November 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241126171048/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/puducherry/rangasamy-sworn-in-puducherry-cm/article34510067.ece|url-status=live}}</ref>

==List of chief counselors==
{{further|1st Pondicherry Representative Assembly|2nd Pondicherry Representative Assembly}}
The [[French India|French settlements in India]] were in a transition period between the ''[[de facto]] transfer day'' (i.e., 1 November 1954) and the ''[[de jure]] transfer day'' (i.e., 16 August 1962).<ref name="IAR1955">{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JncPAQAAIAAJ|title=Indian Affairs Record (Vol. I and II)|publisher=Diwan Chand Indian Information Center|year=1955}}</ref> In January 1955, the [[government of India]], by an order, renamed these four French settlements in India as the ''State of Pondicherry''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9smKAAAAMAAJ|title=The Encyclopaedia of Indian National Congress|volume=15|page=229|author=A. Moin Zaidi|publisher=S. Chand Publications|year=1976}}</ref> Both these transfer days are official holidays within the [[union territory]] of [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.99239|title=Report Of The General Secretaries|author=Shriman Narayan, K.P.Madhavan Nair|publisher=Indian National Congress|year=1956}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.archieve.claudearpi.net/maintenance/uploaded_pics/SWJN_Vol_32_PY.pdf|title=Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru|page=156|work= Jawaharlal Nehru|volume=32|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1961}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
!rowspan=2|No.
!rowspan=2|Portrait
!rowspan=2|Name<br/>{{small|(Birth–Death)}}
!colspan=3|Term in office
|-
!Assumed office
!Left office
!Time in office
|-
!1
|[[File:No image available.svg|100px]]
|'''[[Maurice Pakkiriswamy Pillai]]'''<br/><small>(1906–1956)</small>
|17 August 1955
|13 January 1956
|149 days
|-
!2
|[[File:No image available.svg|100px]]
|'''[[Edouard Goubert]]'''<br/><small>(1894–1979)</small>
|17 January 1956
|24 October 1958
|2 years, 280 days
|-
!–
|colspan=5|'''Vacant (25 October 1958 – 8 September 1959)'''
|-
!3
|[[File:V Venkatasubha Reddiar 2011 stamp of India.jpg|100px]]
|'''[[V. Venkatasubba Reddiar]]'''<br/><small>(1909–1982)</small>
|9 September 1959
|30 June 1963
|3 years, 294 days
|}

==List of chief ministers==
On 10 May 1963, the [[government of India]] enacted the ''Government of Union Territories Act, 1963'', which came into force on 1 July 1963. It introduced the same pattern of government that prevailed in the rest of the country, but subject to certain limitations.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DFqbAAAAMAAJ|title=Cabinet Responsibility to Legislature|author=G. C. Malhotra|publisher=Lok Sabha Secretariat|year=2004|isbn=9788120004009}}</ref> Under Article 239 of the [[Indian Constitution]], the [[president of India]] appoints the [[List of lieutenant governors of Puducherry|lieutenant governor of Puducherry]] with such designation as he may specify to head the administration of the territory. The lieutenant governor appoints the [[Chief minister (India)|chief minister]]. The lieutenant governor, on the advice of the chief minister, appoints the council of ministers.

Also, the [[Pondicherry Representative Assembly|representative assembly]] was converted into the [[Puducherry Legislative Assembly|legislative assembly of Pondicherry]] on 1 July 1963 as per Section 54(3) of the Union Territories Act, 1963, and its members were deemed to have been elected to the assembly.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DFqbAAAAMAAJ|title=Cabinet Responsibility to Legislature|publisher=Metropolitan Book Co. Pvt. Ltd.|year=1964|isbn=978-81-200-0400-9}}</ref> Thus, the [[1st Puducherry Assembly|first legislative assembly]] was formed without an election. [[Elections in Puducherry#Legislative Assembly elections|Elections]] for the assembly have been held since 1964.

{{Col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
;Color key for political parties
*{{legend|{{party color|All India N.R. Congress}}|[[All India N.R. Congress]]|outline=#000000}}
*{{legend|{{party color|Indian National Congress}}|[[Indian National Congress]]|outline=#000000}}
*{{legend|{{party color|Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam}}|[[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]]|outline=#000000}}
*{{legend|{{party color|All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam}}|[[All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]]|outline=#000000}}
{{col-2}}
;Key
*{{note label|RES|RES|RES}} Resigned
*{{note label|†|†|†}} Died in office
*{{note label|NC|NC|NC}} Resigned following a [[no-confidence motion]] 
*{{note label|§|§|§}} Returned to office after a previous non-consecutive term
{{col-end}}
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
!rowspan=2|No.
!rowspan=2|Portrait
!rowspan=2|Name 
<small>{{nowrap|(Birth–Death)}}</small>
!rowspan=2|Elected constituency
!colspan=3|Term of office{{efn|name=term|The ordinal number of the term being served by the person specified in the row in the corresponding period.}}
!rowspan=2|[[Puducherry Legislative Assembly|Assembly]]<br/>{{small|([[Elections in Puducherry|Election]])}}
!rowspan=2|Ministry
!rowspan=2|Appointed by
!rowspan=2 colspan=2|Political party{{efn|name=party|This column only names the chief minister's party. The union territory government he heads may be a complex coalition of several parties and independents; these are not listed here.}}
|-
!Assumed office
!Left office
!Time in office
|-
!1
|[[File:No image available.svg|100px]]
|'''[[Edouard Goubert]]'''<br/><small>(1894–1979)</small>
|[[Mannadipet Assembly constituency|Mannadipet]]
|1 July 1963
|10 September 1964
|1 year, 71 days
|[[1st Puducherry Assembly|1st]]<br/>{{small|([[1959 Pondicherry Representative Assembly election|1959]])}}
|[[1959 Pondicherry Representative Assembly election#Council of ministers of Goubert (1963-1964)|Goubert]]
|[[Surendra Kumar Datta|S. K. Datta]]
|rowspan=4|[[Indian National Congress]]
|rowspan=4 {{party color cell|Indian National Congress}}
|-
!2
|[[File:V Venkatasubha Reddiar 2011 stamp of India.jpg|100px]]
|'''[[V. Venkatasubba Reddiar]]'''<br/><small>(1909–1982)</small>
|[[Nettapakkam Assembly constituency|Nettapakkam]]
|11 September 1964
|9 April 1967{{ref label|RES|RES|RES}}
|2 years, 210 days
|rowspan=3|[[2nd Puducherry Assembly|2nd]]<br/>{{small|([[1964 Pondicherry Legislative Assembly election|1964]])}}
|Reddiar I
|rowspan=3|[[S. L. Silam]]
|-
!3
|[[File:The Governor of Jharkhand, Shri M.O.H Farook receiving the Queen's Baton 2010 Delhi, at Raj Bhavan Ranchi on August 06, 2010 (cropped).jpg|100px]]
|'''[[M. O. H. Farook]]'''<br/><small>(1937–2012)</small>
|[[Karaikal North Assembly constituency|Karaikal North]]
|9 April 1967
|6 March 1968{{ref label|RES|RES|RES}}
|332 days
|Farook I
|-
!(2)
|[[File:V Venkatasubha Reddiar 2011 stamp of India.jpg|100px]]
|'''[[V. Venkatasubba Reddiar]]'''<br/><small>(1909–1982)</small>
|[[Nettapakkam Assembly constituency|Nettapakkam]]
|6 March 1968{{ref label|§|§|§}}
|17 September 1968
|195 days
|Reddiar II
|-
!–
|[[File:Emblem of India.svg|75px]]
|''Vacant''<br/>('''[[President's rule]]''')
|[[N/A]]
|18 September 1968
|16 March 1969
|179 days
|''Dissolved''
|[[N/A]]
|–
|[[N/A]]
|style="background:white;|
|-
!(3)
|[[File:The Governor of Jharkhand, Shri M.O.H Farook receiving the Queen's Baton 2010 Delhi, at Raj Bhavan Ranchi on August 06, 2010 (cropped).jpg|100px]]
|'''[[M. O. H. Farook]]'''<br/><small>(1937–2012)</small>
|[[Kalapet Assembly constituency|Kalapet]]
|17 March 1969{{ref label|§|§|§}}
|2 January 1974
|4 years, 291 days
|[[3rd Puducherry Assembly|3rd]]<br/>{{small|([[1969 Pondicherry Legislative Assembly election|1969]])}}
|Farook II
|[[B. D. Jatti]]
|[[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]]
|{{party color cell|Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam}}
|-
!–
|[[File:Emblem of India.svg|75px]]
|''Vacant''<br/>('''[[President's rule]]''')
|[[N/A]]
|3 January 1974
|5 March 1974
|61 days
|''Dissolved''
|[[N/A]]
|–
|[[N/A]]
|style="background:white;|
|-
!4
|[[File:No image available.svg|100px]]
|'''[[S. Ramassamy]]'''<br/><small>(1939–2017)</small>
|[[Karaikal South Assembly constituency|Karaikal South]]
|6 March 1974
|28 March 1974
|22 days
|4th<br/>{{small|([[1974 Pondicherry Legislative Assembly election|1974]])}}
|Ramassamy I
|[[Chhedi Lal|Cheddi Lal]]
|[[All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]]
|{{party color cell|All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam}}
|-
!–
|[[File:Emblem of India.svg|75px]]
|''Vacant''<br/>('''[[President's rule]]''')
|[[N/A]]
|29 March 1974
|1 July 1977
|3 years, 94 days
|''Dissolved''
|[[N/A]]
|–
|[[N/A]]
|style="background:white;|
|-
!(4)
|[[File:No image available.svg|100px]] 
|'''[[S. Ramassamy]]'''<br/><small>(1939–2017)</small>
|[[Karaikal South Assembly constituency|Karaikal South]]
|2 July 1977{{ref label|§|§|§}}
|12 November 1978
|1 year, 133 days
|5th<br/>{{small|([[1977 Pondicherry Legislative Assembly election|1977]])}}
|Ramassamy II
|[[Bidesh Tukaram Kulkarni|B. T. Kulkarni]]
|[[All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]]
|{{party color cell|All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam}}
|-
!–
|[[File:Emblem of India.svg|75px]]
|''Vacant''<br/>('''[[President's rule]]''')
|[[N/A]]
|13 November 1978
|15 January 1980
|1 year, 63 days
|''Dissolved''
|[[N/A]]
|–
|[[N/A]]
|style="background:white;|
|-
!5
|[[File:No image available.svg|100px]]
|'''[[M. D. R. Ramachandran]]'''<br/><small>(1934–2024)</small>
|[[Mannadipet Assembly constituency|Mannadipet]]
|16 January 1980
|23 June 1983{{ref label|NC|NC|NC}}
|3 years, 158 days
|6th<br/>{{small|([[1980 Pondicherry Legislative Assembly election|1980]])}}
|Ramachandran I
|[[Bidesh Tukaram Kulkarni|B. T. Kulkarni]]
|[[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]]
|{{party color cell|Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam}}
|-
!–
|[[File:Emblem of India.svg|75px]]
|''Vacant''<br/>('''[[President's rule]]''')
|[[N/A]]
|24 June 1983
|15 March 1985
|1 year, 264 days
|''Dissolved''
|[[N/A]]
|–
|[[N/A]]
|style="background:white;|
|-
!(3)
|[[File:The Governor of Jharkhand, Shri M.O.H Farook receiving the Queen's Baton 2010 Delhi, at Raj Bhavan Ranchi on August 06, 2010 (cropped).jpg|100px]]
|'''[[M. O. H. Farook]]'''<br/><small>(1937–2012)</small>
|[[Lawspet Assembly constituency|Lawspet]]
|16 March 1985{{ref label|§|§|§}}
|7 March 1990
|4 years, 356 days
|7th<br/>{{small|([[1985 Pondicherry Legislative Assembly election|1985]])}}
|Farook III
|T. P. Tewary
|[[Indian National Congress]]
|{{party color cell|Indian National Congress}}
|-
!(5)
|[[File:No image available.svg|100px]]
|'''[[M. D. R. Ramachandran]]'''<br/><small>(1934–2024)</small>
|[[Mannadipet Assembly constituency|Mannadipet]]
|8 March 1990{{ref label|§|§|§}}
|2 March 1991{{ref label|NC|NC|NC}}
|359 days
|8th<br/>{{small|([[1990 Pondicherry Legislative Assembly election|1990]])}}
|Ramachandran II
|[[Chandrawati]]
|[[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]]
|{{party color cell|Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam}}
|-
!–
|[[File:Emblem of India.svg|75px]]
|''Vacant''<br/>('''[[President's rule]]''')
|[[N/A]]
|3 March 1991
|3 July 1991
|122 days
|''Dissolved''
|[[N/A]]
|–
|[[N/A]]
|style="background:white;|
|-
!6
|[[File:V. Vaithilingam.jpg|100px]]
|'''[[V. Vaithilingam]]'''<br/><small>({{Abbr|b.|born in}} 1950)</small>
|[[Nettapakkam Assembly constituency|Nettapakkam]]
|4 July 1991
|25 May 1996
|4 years, 326 days
|9th<br/>{{small|([[1991 Pondicherry Legislative Assembly election|1991]])}}
|Vaithilingam I
|Harswarup Singh
|[[Indian National Congress]]
|{{party color cell|Indian National Congress}}
|-
!7
|[[File:R.V.Janakiraman2 (cropped).jpg|100px]]
|'''[[R. V. Janakiraman]]'''<br/><small>(1941–2019)</small>
|[[Nellithope Assembly constituency|Nellithope]]
|26 May 1996
|21 March 2000{{ref label|NC|NC|NC}}
|3 years, 300 days
|rowspan=2|10th<br/>{{small|([[1996 Pondicherry Legislative Assembly election|1996]])}}
|Janakiraman
|[[Rajendra Kumari Bajpai]]
|[[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]]
|{{party color cell|Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam}}
|-
!rowspan=2|8
|rowspan=2|[[File:No image available.svg|100px]]
|rowspan=2|'''[[P. Shanmugam (Pondicherry politician)|P. Shanmugam]]'''<br/><small>(1927–2013)</small>
|rowspan=2|[[Yanam Assembly constituency|Yanam]]
|22 March 2000
|23 May 2001
|rowspan=2|1 year, 219 days
|Shanmugam I
|rowspan=3|[[Rajani Rai]]
|rowspan=5|[[Indian National Congress]]
|rowspan=5 {{party color cell|Indian National Congress}}
|-
|24 May 2001
|27 October 2001{{ref label|RES|RES|RES}}
|rowspan=2|11th<br/>{{small|([[2001 Pondicherry Legislative Assembly election|2001]])}}
|Shanmugam II
|-
!rowspan=2|9
|rowspan=2|[[File:N Rangaswamy.jpg|100px]]
|rowspan=2|'''[[N. Rangasamy]]'''<br/><small>({{Abbr|b.|born in}} 1950)</small>
|rowspan=2|[[Thattanchavady Assembly constituency|Thattanchavady]]
|27 October 2001
|12 May 2006
|rowspan=2|6 years, 313 days
|Rangasamy I
|-
|13 May 2006
|4 September 2008{{ref label|RES|RES|RES}}
|rowspan=2|12th<br/>{{small|([[2006 Pondicherry Legislative Assembly election|2006]])}}
|Rangasamy II
|[[Madan Mohan Lakhera]]
|-
!(6)
|[[File:V. Vaithilingam.jpg|100px]]
|'''[[V. Vaithilingam]]'''<br/><small>({{Abbr|b.|born in}} 1950)</small>
|[[Nettapakkam Assembly constituency|Nettapakkam]]
|4 September 2008{{ref label|§|§|§}}
|15 May 2011
|2 years, 253 days
|Vaithilingam II
|[[Govind Singh Gurjar]]
|-
!(9)
|[[File:N Rangaswamy.jpg|100px]]
|'''[[N. Rangasamy]]'''<br/><small>({{Abbr|b.|born in}} 1950)</small>
|[[Kadirkamam Assembly constituency|Kadirkamam]]
|16 May 2011{{ref label|§|§|§}}
|5 June 2016
|5 years, 20 days
|13th<br/>{{small|([[2011 Puducherry Legislative Assembly election|2011]])}}
|Rangasamy III
|[[Iqbal Singh (politician, born 1945)|Iqbal Singh]]
|[[All India N.R. Congress]]
|{{party color cell|All India N.R. Congress}}
|-
!10
|[[File:VNarayanasamy.jpg|100px]]
|'''[[V. Narayanasamy]]'''<br/><small>({{Abbr|b.|born in}} 1947)</small>
|[[Nellithope Assembly constituency|Nellithope]]
|6 June 2016
|22 February 2021{{ref label|NC|NC|NC}}
|4 years, 261 days
|[[14th Puducherry Assembly|14th]]<br/>{{small|([[2016 Puducherry Legislative Assembly election|2016]])}}
|[[Narayanasamy ministry|Narayanasamy]]
|[[Kiran Bedi]]
|[[Indian National Congress]]
|{{party color cell|Indian National Congress}}
|-
!–
|[[File:Emblem of India.svg|75px]]
|''Vacant''<br/>('''[[President's rule]]''')
|[[N/A]]
|23 February 2021
|6 May 2021
|72 days
|''Dissolved''
|[[N/A]]
|–
|[[N/A]]
|style="background:white;|
|-
!(9)
|[[File:N Rangaswamy.jpg|100px]]
|'''[[N. Rangasamy]]'''<br/><small>({{Abbr|b.|born in}} 1950)</small>
|[[Thattanchavady Assembly constituency|Thattanchavady]]
|7 May 2021{{ref label|§|§|§}}
|''Incumbent''
|{{age in years and days|2021|05|07}}
|[[15th Puducherry Assembly|15th]]<br/>{{small|([[2021 Puducherry Legislative Assembly election|2021]])}}
|[[Fourth Rangaswamy ministry|Rangasamy IV]]
|[[Tamilisai Soundararajan]] 
|[[All India N.R. Congress]]
|{{party color cell|All India N.R. Congress}}
|}

;Timeline
{{#tag:timeline| 
ImageSize = width:1050 height:auto barincrement:15
PlotArea  = top:10 bottom:50 right:100 left:20
AlignBars = late

Colors = 
 id:inc    value:rgb(0.09804,0.66667,0.92941) legend:INC
 id:vacant value:black legend:Vacant
 id:dmk    value:rgb(1,0.05098,0.05098) legend:DMK
 id:aiadmk value:rgb(0,0.6,0.2) legend:AIADMK
 id:ainrc value:rgb(0.99215,0.63529,0.03529) legend:AINRC
 id:gray1  value:gray(0.8)
 id:gray2  value:gray(0.9)
 
Define $today = {{#time:d/m/Y}}
	
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period     = from:01/07/1963 till:$today
TimeAxis   = orientation:horizontal
ScaleMinor = gridcolor:gray2 unit:year increment:1 start:1964
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:gray1 unit:year increment:5 start:1964

Legend = columns:4 left:150 top:24 columnwidth:150

TextData =
 pos:(20,27) textcolor:black fontsize:M
 text: Political Party

BarData =
 bar:Goubert
 bar:Reddiar
 bar:Farook
 bar:Vacant
 bar:Ramassamy
 bar:Ramachandran
 bar:Vaithilingam
 bar:Janakiraman
 bar:Shanmugam
 bar:Rangasamy
 bar:Narayanasamy

PlotData =
 width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till

 bar:Goubert
 from:01/07/1963 till:10/09/1964 color:inc text:"[[Edouard Goubert]]" fontsize:10
 bar:Reddiar
 from:11/09/1964 till:09/04/1967 color:inc
 from:06/03/1968 till:17/09/1968 color:inc text:"[[V. Venkatasubba Reddiar]]" fontsize:10
 bar:Farook
 from:09/04/1967 till:06/03/1968 color:inc
 from:17/03/1969 till:02/01/1974 color:dmk
 from:16/03/1985 till:07/03/1990 color:inc text:"[[M. O. H. Farook]]" fontsize:10
 bar:Vacant
 from:18/09/1968 till:16/03/1969 color:vacant
 from:03/01/1974 till:05/03/1974 color:vacant
 from:29/03/1974 till:01/07/1977 color:vacant
 from:13/11/1978 till:15/01/1980 color:vacant
 from:24/06/1983 till:15/03/1985 color:vacant
 from:03/03/1991 till:03/07/1991 color:vacant
 from:23/02/2021 till:06/05/2021 color:vacant text:"[[Vacant]] (President's rule)" fontsize:10
 bar:Ramassamy
 from:06/03/1974 till:28/03/1974 color:aiadmk
 from:02/07/1977 till:12/11/1978 color:aiadmk text:"[[S. Ramassamy]]" fontsize:10
 bar:Ramachandran
 from:15/01/1980 till:23/06/1983 color:dmk
 from:08/03/1990 till:02/03/1991 color:dmk text:"[[M. D. R. Ramachandran]]" fontsize:10
 bar:Vaithilingam
 from:04/07/1991 till:25/05/1996 color:inc
 from:04/09/2008 till:15/05/2011 color:inc text:"[[V. Vaithilingam]]" fontsize:10
 bar:Janakiraman
 from:26/05/1996 till:21/03/2000 color:dmk text:"[[R. V. Janakiraman]]" fontsize:10
 bar:Shanmugam
 from:22/03/2000 till:27/10/2001 color:inc text:"[[P. Shanmugam (Pondicherry politician)|P. Shanmugam]]" fontsize:10
 bar:Rangasamy
 from:27/10/2001 till:04/09/2008 color:inc
 from:16/05/2011 till:05/06/2016 color:ainrc
 from:07/05/2021 till:end color:ainrc text:"[[N. Rangasamy]]" fontsize:10
 bar:Narayanasamy
 from:06/06/2016 till:22/02/2021 color:inc text:"[[V. Narayanasamy]]" fontsize:10
}}

==Statistics==
;List of chief ministers by length of term
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%; text-align:center"
!rowspan=2|No.
!rowspan=2|Name
!rowspan=2 colspan=2|Party
!colspan=2|Length of term
|-
!Longest continuous term
!Total years of chief ministership
|-
!1
|'''[[N. Rangasamy]]'''
|'''[[AINRC]]/[[Indian National Congress|INC]]'''
|style="background-color:#8BA67B"|
|'''6 years, 313 days'''
|'''{{age in years and days|2009|06|07}}'''
|-
!2
|[[M. O. H. Farook]]
|[[Indian National Congress|INC]]/[[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam|DMK]]
|style="background-color:#8C5C7D"|
|4 years, 356 days
|10 years, 249 days
|-
!3
|[[V. Vaithilingam]]
|[[Indian National Congress|INC]]
|{{party color cell|Indian National Congress}}
|4 years, 326 days
|7 years, 214 days
|-
!4
|[[V. Narayanasamy]]
|[[Indian National Congress|INC]]
|{{party color cell|Indian National Congress}}
|4 years, 261 days
|4 years, 261 days
|-
!5
|[[M. D. R. Ramachandran]]
|[[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam|DMK]]
|{{party color cell|Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam}}
|3 years, 158 days
|4 years, 152 days
|-
!6
|[[R. V. Janakiraman]]
|[[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam|DMK]]
|{{party color cell|Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam}}
|3 years, 300 days
|3 years, 300 days
|-
!7
|[[V. Venkatasubba Reddiar]]
|[[Indian National Congress|INC]]
|{{party color cell|Indian National Congress}}
|2 years, 210 days
|3 years, 40 days
|-
!8
|[[S. Ramassamy]]
|[[AIADMK]]
|{{party color cell|All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam}}
|1 year, 133 days
|1 year, 155 days
|-
!9
|[[P. Shanmugam (Pondicherry politician)|P. Shanmugam]]
|[[Indian National Congress|INC]]
|{{party color cell|Indian National Congress}}
|1 year, 219 days
|1 year, 219 days
|-
!10
|[[Edouard Goubert]]
|[[Indian National Congress|INC]]
|{{party color cell|Indian National Congress}}
|1 year, 71 days
|1 year, 71 days
|}

;List by party
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%; text-align:center"
|+Political parties by total time-span of their member holding CMO ({{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}})
!No.
!Political party
!Number of chief ministers
!Total days of holding CMO
|-
!1
|[[Indian National Congress]]
|7
|{{formatnum:{{formatnum:{{#expr:{{age in days|1963|07|01|1968|09|17}}+{{age in days|1985|03|16|1990|03|07}}+{{age in days|1991|07|04|1996|05|25}}+{{age in days|2000|03|22|2008|09|04}}+{{age in days|2016|06|06|2021|02|22}}}}}}|R}} days
|-
!2
|'''[[All India N.R. Congress]]'''
|'''1'''
|'''{{formatnum:{{formatnum:{{#expr:{{age in days|2011|05|16|2016|06|05}}+{{age in days|2021|05|07}}}}}}|R}} days'''
|-
!2
|[[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]]
|3
|2568 days
|-
!4
|[[All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]]
|1
|520 days
|}

;Parties by total duration (in days) of holding Chief Minister's Office
{{#invoke:Chart|bar chart
|float       = center
|width       = 800
|height      = 300
|stack       = 1
|group 1     = {{formatnum:{{formatnum:{{#expr:{{age in days|1963|07|01|1968|09|17}}+{{age in days|1985|03|16|1990|03|07}}+{{age in days|1991|07|04|1996|05|25}}+{{age in days|2000|03|22|2008|09|04}}+{{age in days|2016|06|06|2021|02|22}}}}}}|R}}:0:0:0
|group 2     = 0:{{formatnum:{{formatnum:{{#expr:{{age in days|2011|05|16|2016|06|05}}+{{age in days|2021|05|07}}}}}}|R}}:0:0
|group 3     = 0:0:2568:0
|group 4     = 0:0:0:520
|colors      = #19AAED:#FDA209:#FF0D0D:#009933
|group names = [[Indian National Congress|INC]]:[[AINRC]]:[[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam|DMK]]:[[AIADMK]]
|x legends   = INC:AINRC:DMK:AIADMK
}}

==See also==
*[[History of Puducherry]]
*[[Elections in Puducherry]]
*[[Puducherry Legislative Assembly]]
*[[Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry]]
*[[List of current Indian chief ministers]]
*[[List of speakers of the Puducherry Legislative Assembly]]
*[[List of leaders of the opposition in the Puducherry Legislative Assembly]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://py.gov.in/chief-minister Official Website of the Office of the Chief Minister]

{{Chief ministers of Puducherry}}
{{Chief Ministers of Indian States}}
{{Puducherry}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Lists of chief ministers of Indian states|Puducherry]]
[[Category:Chief ministers of Puducherry]]
[[Category:Puducherry-related lists|Chief ministers]]