Without a doubt, a chief minister of the state is one of the popular personalities in the state as well as in the country. But out of more than two dozen Chief Ministers in the country, there are quite a few that stand out from the rest, mainly because of their unique policies, their responsibility towards the general public, and what they do as a whole for the state’s development. And for that very reason, we are here to talk about the top 10 popular chief ministers in India as of 2024. Since the elections are in progress, you shouldn’t miss out on this list, alright, here we go now.
1. Naveen Patnaik (Odisha)
Naveen Patnaik is the most popular CM with a net satisfaction score of 52.7% in the country as of 2024. Chief of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Patnaik has come to be accepted by the masses for good governance and development-oriented policies for more than two decades now. His tenure brought in major improvements in infrastructure, healthcare, and education. But what really makes him stand out is the way he handled the oft-frequent cyclones in Odisha, which has in turn earned him great trust and respect in the state and across the country.
2. Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh)
He has also made a giant presence, online and offline, as the Bharatiya Janata Party man who has been the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh since March 2017. With a popularity rating of 51.3%, he has majorly been tough on law and order, working tirelessly on aggressive infrastructure growth and huge level social welfare programs. Whether it is the reduced crime, or UP going through development, Yogi Adityanath is for sure the most favorite CM of Uttar Pradesh as well as many BJP supporters in the country.
3. Himanta Biswa Sarma (Assam)
The popularity level of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who took over the reins in May this year, now stands at a whopping 48.6%. Recently, Sarma has emerged as a very dynamic leader, playing an extremely important role in tackling the varied challenges Assam has been facing. Since his switch from the Congress to the BJP in 2015, he has been instrumental in the party’s expansion in the northeast. His efforts on infrastructure, healthcare, education, and his proactive approach to communal harmony have significantly enhanced his reputation.
4. Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi)
Arvind Kejriwal Chief Minister, Delhi Works for improvement in the field of education and health. He is the head of the Aam Aadmi Party and has given Delhi a new look in terms of a service delivery model. His personal initiatives in the field of infrastructure development in government schools, along with establishing Mohalla Clinics for free regular health checkups, have made him popular across the country. Though, despite his good works in the capital of the country, he has been through tough times recently, mainly because he was linked to the Delhi Liquor Scam, not as a sitting CM, but as an AAP party leader.
5. Bhupendra Patel (Gujarat)
Bhupendra Patel, in a short span of his chief ministership in Gujarat since September 2021, has established his rule with effective governance, having a popularity rating of 42.6% as of 2024. Growing in economic development, improved infrastructure, and industrial growth, he also reflected on his administration in the light of his predecessors from the BJP. His pragmatic and steady leadership style gave Gujarat much-needed stability and widespread support from the different sectors of its communities.
6. Manik Saha (Tripura)
Manik Saha may be one of the recent entrants to the political scene, but he has certainly made an impression in Tripura, where he has succeeded in capturing a percentage of 41.4% of the popularity vote. He was a dental surgeon in his previous life before entering politics in 2016 as a representative of the Bharatiya Janata Party. His term is largely considered to have worked at the ground level and for working towards achieving better standards of living for the underprivileged classes of society. Another big reason for his popularity in India and Tripura is that he knows how to put her thoughts out there in the simplest words possible to connect with the general public.
7. Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal)
One such leader who believes that leadership has to be strong and is one who connects with the masses is Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal. Leading the All India Trinamool Congress, she has done one of the greatest infrastructural works in the form of Kolkata East-West Metro Corridor and social schemes like Kanyashree for women’s empowerment. Her work sure has had a good impact on the state, but lately, she is facing a bit of backlash because the political situation in West Bengal is unstable due to several reasons.
8. Pinarayi Vijayan (Kerala)
Pinarayi Vijayan, Kerala’s current Chief Minister, is praised for his effective management and focus on healthcare and education. Leading the Left Democratic Front (LDF), he has steered Kerala through challenges like natural disasters and the pandemic. His initiatives in healthcare and education have positioned Kerala as a leader in these areas, and that can be an explanation for why he is one of the most popular CMs in the country.
9. Nitish Kumar (Bihar)
Ever since Nitish Kumar became the Chief Minister of Bihar, the governance of the state has been development-oriented. Leading the party Janata Dal (United), he has brought development in public safety and infrastructure, including roads and rural electrification. Over the years, he has worked a lot to help the student class of the state as well as worked to promote gender equality.
10. MK Stalin (Tamil Nadu)
MK Stalin, the current Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, is also seen as a reformist leader as far as the number of institutional mechanisms introduced in infrastructure, health, and education are concerned, key among them being the welfare schemes like the Kalaignar Women’s Rights Scheme and the Tamil Nadu Health System Reform Program.
Conclusion
That’s all for now. Looking at the current popularity numbers, these are by far the most popular Chief ministers of India in current times. Sure, some are in the headlines for good reasons, but others are involved in particularly bad cases, and that’s why you are seeing them in headlines over and over again.
