Who led Himachal, and when
Chief ministers from Dr Y.S. Parmar to today. Dates from two public lists; see the sources on each card.
Short answer
Himachal Pradesh has had 7 chief ministers since 1952. The first was Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar, from 1952. The current chief minister is Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, in office since 11 Dec 2022.
Portraits are linocut-style illustrations made from freely licensed photographs. They are not photographs.
Seven people, drawn to scale
Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar
Thakur Ram Lal
Shanta Kumar
Virbhadra Singh
Prem Kumar Dhumal
Jai Ram Thakur
Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu
Source: Wikipedia and Adda247, links on each card. Dates as of 15 Oct 2026. Time in office: our arithmetic from the dates · as of 5 Nov 2026. All bars use the same scale.
GODL-India · source
Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar
Congress
Constituency: Pachhad
From 8 Mar 1952
to Oct 1956
4 years, 7 months
Himachal was a Part C State.
Time in office: our arithmetic from these dates · as of 5 Nov 2026.
From 31 Oct 1956
to Jul 1963
Himachal was a Union Territory with a Territorial Council. The office of chief minister did not exist.
Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar
Congress
Constituency: Shri Renukaji
From 1 Jul 1963
to Jan 1977
13 years, 6 months
Spans the Legislative Assembly from 1 July 1963 and statehood on 25 January 1971.
Time in office: our arithmetic from these dates · as of 5 Nov 2026.
CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Thakur Ram Lal
Congress
Constituency: Jubbal-Kotkhai
From 28 Jan 1977
to Apr 1977
0 years, 3 months
Time in office: our arithmetic from these dates · as of 5 Nov 2026.
From 30 Apr 1977
to Jun 1977
President's rule.
GODL-India · source
Shanta Kumar
Janata Party
Constituency: Sullah
From 22 Jun 1977
to Feb 1980
2 years, 7 months
Time in office: our arithmetic from these dates · as of 5 Nov 2026.
Thakur Ram Lal
Congress
Constituency: Jubbal-Kotkhai
From 14 Feb 1980
to Apr 1983
3 years, 1 month
Second time in office.
Time in office: our arithmetic from these dates · as of 5 Nov 2026.
CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Virbhadra Singh
Congress
Constituency: Jubbal-Kotkhai
From 8 Apr 1983
to Mar 1990
6 years, 10 months
The Wikipedia table lists a second entry from 8 March 1985, in the 6th Assembly.
Time in office: our arithmetic from these dates · as of 5 Nov 2026.
Shanta Kumar
BJP
Constituency: Palampur
From 5 Mar 1990
to Dec 1992
2 years, 9 months
Second time in office.
Time in office: our arithmetic from these dates · as of 5 Nov 2026.
From 15 Dec 1992
to Dec 1993
President's rule.
Virbhadra Singh
Congress
Constituency: Rohru
From 3 Dec 1993
to Mar 1998
4 years, 3 months
Time in office: our arithmetic from these dates · as of 5 Nov 2026.
GODL-India · source
Prem Kumar Dhumal
BJP
Constituency: Bamsan
From 24 Mar 1998
to Mar 2003
4 years, 11 months
Time in office: our arithmetic from these dates · as of 5 Nov 2026.
Virbhadra Singh
Congress
Constituency: Rohru
From 6 Mar 2003
to Dec 2007
4 years, 9 months
Time in office: our arithmetic from these dates · as of 5 Nov 2026.
Prem Kumar Dhumal
BJP
Constituency: Bamsan
From 30 Dec 2007
to Dec 2012
4 years, 11 months
Time in office: our arithmetic from these dates · as of 5 Nov 2026.
Virbhadra Singh
Congress
Constituency: Shimla Rural
From 25 Dec 2012
to Dec 2017
5 years, 0 months
Time in office: our arithmetic from these dates · as of 5 Nov 2026.
GODL-India · source
Jai Ram Thakur
BJP
Constituency: Seraj
From 27 Dec 2017
to Dec 2022
4 years, 11 months
Time in office: our arithmetic from these dates · as of 5 Nov 2026.
GODL-India · source
Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu
Congress
Constituency: Nadaun
From 11 Dec 2022
in office
3 years, 10 months
In office as of 15 October 2026 (news reports of 10, 11 and 14 October 2026).
Time in office: our arithmetic from these dates · as of 5 Nov 2026.
Quick answers
Longest total time in office: Virbhadra Singh, 21 years, 0 months, over 4 spells.
Held the office more than once: 5 of the 7.
Shortest spell: Thakur Ram Lal, 92 days (28 Jan to 30 Apr 1977).
Longest single spell: Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar, 13 years, 6 months (1963 to 1977).
No chief minister: 3 stretches, 7 years, 9 months in all (1956 to 1963: Union Territory, no chief minister; President's rule 1977; President's rule Dec 1992 to Dec 1993).
In office now: Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, since 11 Dec 2022, 3 years, 10 months so far.
Sources: Wikipedia, Adda247 and HP Vidhan Sabha, linked in the table. Worked out from the dates below. As of 5 Nov 2026.
Table view: all 17 periods
Image credits
Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar
Illustration adapted from a photograph by India Post, Government of India (1988 stamp artwork)
GODL-India · sourceThakur Ram Lal
Illustration adapted from a photograph by Sanjay Sharma
CC BY-SA 3.0 · sourceShanta Kumar
Illustration adapted from a photograph by Vice President's Secretariat, via Press Information Bureau
GODL-India · sourceVirbhadra Singh
Illustration adapted from a photograph by Snjsharma
CC BY-SA 3.0 · sourcePrem Kumar Dhumal
Illustration adapted from a photograph by Planning Commission, via Press Information Bureau
GODL-India · sourceJai Ram Thakur
Illustration adapted from a photograph by Ministry of Education
GODL-India · sourceSukhvinder Singh Sukhu
Illustration adapted from a photograph by Prime Minister's Office (India)
GODL-India · source
The Thakur Ram Lal and Virbhadra Singh prints are shared under CC BY-SA 3.0, the same licence as their source photographs.
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