Indian Muslim CM List | 6 States that had Muslim Chief Ministers
India has seen Muslim chief ministers serve in 6 different states since independence. The six Indian states that have had Muslim chief ministers include Kerala, Rajasthan, Manipur, Maharashtra, Bihar and Assam.
Out of the six Muslim chief ministers, four belonged to the Indian National Congress party, including in Kerala, Maharashtra, Bihar and Assam. One Muslim CM was from the Manipur People’s Party, while another was from the Indian Union Muslim League party.
This article will highlight all Muslim chief ministers of Indian states that have seen Muslim representation in the top post. The below list doesn’t includes C.M.s of Union territory like Jammu and Kashmir and Pondicherry.
List of All Muslim Chief Ministers(CM) in India:
1. Barkatullah Khan(Rajasthan)
Born & Death: 25 October 1920 – 11 October 1973
C.M. Tenure: 9 July 1971 to 11 October 1973
Political Affiliation: Indian National Congress
Barkatullah Khan was the first Muslim to become Chief Minister of an Indian state, breaking barriers when he took office in Rajasthan in 1971. He was born in 1917 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan to a modest family that ran a small business. From a young age, Khan was fond of Urdu poetry, which earned him the nickname “Pyare Miyan.”
Khan continued his studies and completed his graduation from Lucknow University. There he formed a friendship with Feroze Gandhi, who would later become the husband of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. In 1971, he was appointed Chief Minister of Rajasthan, becoming the first Muslim CM of the state.
2. Abdul Ghafoor(Bihar)
Born & Death: 1918- 10 july 2004
C.M. Tenure: 2 July 1973 to 11 April 1975
Political Affiliation: Indian National Congress
Abdul Ghafoor was the first Muslim Chief Minister of Bihar, serving from 1973 to 1975. Ghafoor served as Urban Development Minister under Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1984. He was also elected to the Lok Sabha twice, representing Siwan and Gopalganj constituencies.
After leaving Congress, Ghafoor joined the Samata Party in the 1990s. He died in 2004 in Patna.
Ghafoor’s political legacy has been continued by his grandson, Asif Ghafoor. Asif is an active member of the Congress party in Bihar. He contested the 2010 Bihar Assembly elections from the Barauli constituency as a Congress candidate.
3. Mohammed Alimuddin(Manipur)
Born & Death: 1 January 1920 – 3 February 1983
C.M. Tenure: 23 March 1972 to 27 March 1973, 4 March 1974 to 9 July 1974
Political Affiliation: Manipur Peoples Party
Mohammed Alimuddin was the first Muslim Chief Minister of Manipur, serving two short terms in the 1970s. He was a member of the regional Manipur People’s Party, making him the first non-congressi Muslim CM.
Alimuddin was elected to the Legislative Assembly from Lilong in Manipur’s first elections in 1948. He went on to serve as Finance Minister and Speaker of the Assembly under different governments in the 1960s. He became Chief Minister for the first time in 1972 for a brief period. Alimuddin was appointed CM again in 1974, serving for 127 days.
During his time as Chief Minister, the foundation was laid for the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, which became a premier medical college in northeast India.
4. C.H. Mohammed Koya (Kerala)
Born & Death: 15 July 1927 – 28 September 1983
C.M. Tenure: 12 October 1979 to 1 December 1979
Political Affiliation: Indian Union Muslim League
C.H. Mohammed Koya was the first Muslim to serve as Chief Minister of Kerala. Koya served in various ministerial roles in Kerala over the decades. He was Minister of Education from 1967-1973 and again from 1977-1979. As Education Minister, Koya worked to expand education opportunities for backward classes in northern Kerala.
After his brief tenure as Chief Minister, Koya went on to become the Deputy Chief Minister of Kerala from 1981 until his death in 1983. He had also previously served as Home Minister of Kerala from 1969-1973.
5. A.R. Antulay (Maharashtra)
Born & Death: 9 February 1929 – 2 December 2014
C.M. Tenure: 09 June 1980 to 12 January 1982
Political Party Affiliation: Indian National Congress
A.R. Antulay was an Indian politician who served as Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 9 Jun 1980-12 Jan 1982. He was the first Muslim to hold the chief minister post in the Maharashtra state. Antulay was a member of the Congress party. He served as Union Minister of Minority Affairs and was elected to the 14th Lok Sabha in 2004.
In the 1980s, Antulay resigned as Maharashtra CM after being convicted of extortion charges related to a trust fund. However, the Supreme Court later acquitted him.
6. Anwara Taimur (Assam)
Born & Death: 24 November 1936 – 28 September 2020
C.M. Tenure: 6 December 1980 to 30 June 1981.
Political Affiliation: Indian National Congress
Syeda Anwara Taimur was an Indian politician who served as the Chief Minister of Assam from 6 Dec 1980- 30 Jun 1981. She was the first and only female Muslim CM of Assam.
A leader of the Indian National Congress party, Taimur was elected as an MLA to the Assam Assembly multiple times in 1972, 1978, 1983, and 1991. She later served as a Minister for PWD and Agriculture in the state government.
In 1988, Taimur was nominated to the Rajya Sabha. In 2011, she joined the All India United Democratic Front party. Taimur died on 28 September 2020 in Australia, due to Cardiac Arrest.
