List of nicknames of prime ministers of India

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This is a list of nicknames or public names of prime ministers of India that were or are in common usage.

Jawaharlal Nehru

Full name: Jawaharlal Nehru

• Pandit, for his Kashmiri Pandit ancestry. ^[1]
• Chacha (Hindi: uncle), as he was better known among children. ^[1]

Lal Bahadur Shastri

Full name: Lal Bahadur Shastri

• Man of Peace ^{[2] [3] [4]}
• Nanhe (Hindi: little), was his childhood nickname. ^[5]

Indira Gandhi

Full name: Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi

• Priyadarshini (Sanskrit: dear to the sight), was also her middle name ^{[6] [7]}
• Mother India, a biographical book written on her by Pranay Gupte. ^[8]
• Iron Lady, Henry Kissinger described her as an "Iron Lady", a nickname that became associated with her tough personality since her lifetime. ^{[9] [10] [11]}
• Durga , given by the opposition leaders after she led victory against Pakistan in 1971 war. ^{[12] [13]}

Morarji Desai

Full name: Morarji Ranchhodji Desai

• Man of principles ^{[14] [15]}

Charan Singh

Full name: Chaudhary Charan Singh

• Chaudhary Sahab ^{[16] [17]}
• Champion of Indian peasants, He earned this nickname for his advocacy of farmers’ rights and agrarian reforms during his tenure. ^{[18] [19]}

Rajiv Gandhi

Full name: Rajiv Gandhi

• Father of Information Technology and Telecom Revolution of India, This nickname highlights his role in modernising India’s IT and telecom sectors, laying the foundation for their global prominence. ^{[20] [21] [22]}

V. P. Singh

Full name: Vishwanath Pratap Singh

• Mr Clean, He was called this due to his reputation for integrity and his efforts to combat corruption in politics. ^{[23] [24] [25]}

Chandra Shekhar

Full name: Chandra Shekhar Singh

• Young Turk, This nickname was given for his bold, rebellious stance against established political norms during his early career. ^{[26] [27]}

P. V. Narasimha Rao

Full name: Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao

• Modern day Chanakya, He earned this title for his strategic brilliance in steering India through economic liberalisation and political challenges. ^{[28] [29]}

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Full name: Atal Bihari Vajpayee

• Bhishma Pitamaha , a nickname that is given to him by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. ^[30]
• Ajatshatru, Meaning “one without enemies,” this nickname reflects his ability to maintain cordial relations across political divides. ^{[31] [32]}

H. D. Deve Gowda

Full name: Haradanahalli Doddegowda Deve Gowda

• Mannina Maga (Kannada: son of the soil), for iterating that he is down-to-earth and cares for the poor. ^[33]
• Dodda Gowdaru (Kannada: Senior Gowda), for disambiguating him from his children or anybody else with the Gowda title.

Inder Kumar Gujral

Full name: Inder Kumar Gujral

Manmohan Singh

Full name: Manmohan Singh

• Mohna, a childhood nickname used by his friend Raja Mohammad Ali ^[34]
• Silent PM, He was dubbed this for his reserved demeanour and preference for working quietly behind the scenes. ^[35]
• Accidental PM, This nickname arose from his unexpected rise to the prime ministership without a strong political base of his own. ^[36]

Narendra Modi

Full name: Narendra Damodardas Modi

• Chaiwala, This refers to his humble beginnings as a tea seller, a narrative he embraced to connect with the masses. ^[37]
• Chowkidar, Meaning “watchman,” he adopted this title to symbolize his commitment to safeguarding the nation’s interests. ^{[38] [39]}
• NaMo, A blend of his initials (Narendra Modi) ^[40]

See also

• List of nicknames of prime ministers of Australia
• List of nicknames of prime ministers of Italy
• List of nicknames of prime ministers of the United Kingdom
• List of nicknames of presidents of the United States

References

1. "Nation pays tribute to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on his 124th birth anniversary". DNA India. 2013-11-14. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
2. "Remembering "The Man of Peace" – Lal Bahadur Shastri". EducationWorld. 2019-01-11. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
3. K, PAVAN RAO (2019-10-29). "Lal Bahadur Shastri: In a time of war, the man of peace". The Asian Age. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
4. "MAN OF PEACE, A | Films Division". filmsdivision.org. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
5. "Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri | Prime Minister of India". www.pmindia.gov.in. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
6. Frank, Katherine (2010-07-08). Indira: The Life of Indira Nehru Gandhi. HarperCollins UK. ISBN   978-0-00-737250-8.
7. "Indira Gandhi | Department of Justice | Ministry of Law & Justice | GoI". doj.gov.in. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
8. Gupte, Pranay (2012-02-15). Mother India: A Political Biography of Indira Gandhi. Penguin Books India. ISBN   978-0-14-306826-6.
9. Sharma, R.A. (1988). Indira Gandhi and Congress Party. Northern Book Centre. p. 190. ISBN   978-81-85119-44-1. Henry A. Kissinger had described her as an "iron lady" and her personality as "charismatic" and tough.
10. Himmat. R. M. Lala. 1979. p. 8. Few cast so low, so ignominiously, have the courage and belief to return. Mrs Gandhi is the real iron lady.
11. "Indira Gandhi: The 'Iron Lady of India', a leading stateswoman, was once a lonely child". gulfnews.com. 19 November 2019. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
12. Thakur, Janardan (1979). Indira Gandhi and Her Power Game. Vikas. p. 1. ISBN   978-0-7069-0985-2. Wild cheers went up with every hated name that fell by the wayside, reminiscent of that other night in December 1971 when the Lahore skies had belonged to India. Those were the days when so many had hailed Indira Gandhi as Durga.
13. The Calcutta Journal of Political Studies, Volumes 6-7. University of Calcutta. 1987. p. 12. astounding victory of India led even the opposition leaders to compare her to such a mythological 'strong personality' as 'Durga'
14. Singh, Arvindar (2022-04-10). "Morarji Desai – India's oldest PM who always had time for media questions". ThePrint. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
15. "Morarji Desai: Leader of principles". India Today. 2021-08-21. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
16. "चौधरी साहब के किस्से: ...जब 24 घंटे में बनवा दी थी कई गांवों की सड़क, श्रीपाल के भजनों के कायल थे चरण सिंह". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). Retrieved 2025-03-14.
17. "चौधरी साहब की बगावत से हिल गईं थी अंग्रेजी सरकार, देखते ही द‍िया था गोली मारने का आदेश - British had given orders to shoot Chaudhary Charan Singh on sight". Jagran (in Hindi). Retrieved 2025-03-14.
18. "Chaudhary Charan Singh was a leader who was ahead of his time". The Indian Express. 2024-12-23. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
19. "Bharat Ratna for Chaudhary Charan Singh: Why this is significant". The Indian Express. 2024-02-09. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
20. "5 ways how Rajiv Gandhi changed India forever". India Today. 2018-08-20. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
21. "Modi didn't start 'Digital India', it was Rajiv Gandhi: Sam Pitroda". Firstpost. 2015-10-20. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
22. "सूचना प्रौद्योगिकी के जनक थे राजीव गांधी - Rajiv Gandhi was the father of information technology - Bihar Samastipur General News". Jagran (in Hindi). Retrieved 2025-03-16.
23. Hazarika, Sanjoy; Times, Special To the New York (1989-12-03). "Man in the News; V.P. SINGH: LOW-KEY INDIAN IN HIGH-ANXIETY JOB". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2025-03-16.
24. "How 'Mr Clean' lost his shine". The Indian Express. 2014-12-22. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
25. "'The prime minister has lowered his own image as Mr Clean'". India Today. 1987-05-15. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
26. "Shri Chandra Shekhar | Prime Minister of India". www.pmindia.gov.in. Archived from the original on 2024-12-26. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
27. Bajpai, Harivansh, Ravi Dutt (2019-07-16). "When Chandra Shekhar's Young Turks beat Congress old guard with Indira Gandhi's support". ThePrint. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
28. Assisi, Charles. "Tales of a modern-day Chanakya—P.V. Narasimha Rao". mint. Archived from the original on 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
29. "PV Narasimha Rao death anniversary: Interesting facts about the 'modern-day Chanakya' - CNBC TV18". CNBCTV18. 2022-12-23. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
30. ""Bhishma Pitamah" should rise above party politics: PM". The Hindu. 2008-03-06. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2021-07-05.
31. "A poetic tribute to the 'Ajatshatru' of Indian politics". Hindustan Times. 2024-12-24. Archived from the original on 2024-12-26. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
32. "Vajpayee was the Ajatshatru of Indian politics: former President Ram Nath Kovind". The Hindu. 2022-12-24. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2025-03-16.
33. Poovanna, Sharan (2019-05-24). "Deve Gowda: Karnataka's humbled Goliath". mint. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
34. "When Manmohan Singh Reunited With His Childhood Friend From Pakistan". www.ndtv.com. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
35. "The Manmohan Singh legacy: 'Silent' but never weak". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
36. "Manmohan Singh: The 'accidental PM' who proved, time and again, that he was no accident". The Indian Express. 2024-12-27. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
37. "From 'chaiwala' and 'chowkidar' to 'Modi ka parivar' — How brand Modi has evolved over the last 10 years - CNBC TV18". CNBCTV18. 2024-03-07. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
38. Kuchay, Bilal. "Modi's rebranding: Tea seller in 2014, watchman in 2019". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
39. "'Chaiwala', 'Chowkidar', 'Parivar': How jibes at PM gave BJP 3 poll campaigns". Firstpost. 2024-03-05. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
40. "9 students held in Kerala for 'anti-Modi' crossword in college magazine". The Times of India. 2014-06-16. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 2025-03-16.