US Senators, business leaders greet Modi on India's longest-serving elected PM milestone

Washington: US Senators, business leaders and members of the diaspora have greeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for becoming the longest-serving elected prime minister, saying his tenure has been "nothing short of transformational".

On Wednesday, Narendra Modi became India's longest-serving prime minister, with an unbroken tenure of 4,399 days in office, surpassing the record of the first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

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"Congratulations to Prime Minister @narendramodi on becoming India's longest-serving elected Prime Minister 4,399 days of leadership earned through the trust of 1.4 billion people across three democratic mandates," John Cornyn, the Republican Senator from Texas, said in a post on X.

"From lifting 250 million out of poverty to making India the world's fastest-growing major economy, PM Modi's tenure has been nothing short of transformational. The US-India partnership has never been stronger," said Cornyn, the co-chair of the Senate India Caucus.

"Congratulations to Indian Prime Minister @narendramodi who has become the country's longest-serving prime minister. Under PM Modi's leadership, the US-India partnership has truly become comprehensive, global, and strategic," Senator Bill Hagerty, a Republican from Tennessee, said.

American singer Mary Millben described Modi as her friend and offered heartfelt congratulations on "becoming India's longest-serving Prime Minister."

"You have outlasted consecutive US Presidents, some with whom you had great relationship and others you have had great grace towards, yet you never wavered in exercising clear diplomacy that upheld the interests of the Indian people coupled with the health of our two countries," said Milliben.

Nikesh Arora, CEO of Palo Alto Networks, congratulated Prime Minister Modi on the leadership earned through the trust of 1.4 billion people across three democratic mandates.

Nehru, who was first elected to the post in 1952, took the oath of office on May 13 and served until May 27, 1964 -- a tenure of 4,398 days.

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Nehru's previous stint from 1947-52 was as head of an interim government, as elections were yet to be institutionalised and held.

Indira Gandhi had a fractured tenure as prime minister for 14 years from 1966 to 1984. She was voted out as prime minister in the 1977 general elections held after the lifting of the Emergency.