Deputy Prime Minister of India

Deputy Prime Minister of India भारत के उप प्रधानमन्त्री
Emblem of India
Incumbent Vacant
Appointer	President on the advice of the Prime Minister
Inaugural holder	Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Formation	15 August 1947

The Deputy Prime Minister of India is a member of the Union Cabinet in the Government of India. Not technically a constitutional office, it seldom carries any specific powers. A deputy prime minister usually also holds a key cabinet portfolio such as home minister or finance minister. In the parliamentary system of government, the prime minister is treated as the "first among equals" in the cabinet; the position of deputy prime minister is used to bring political stability and strength within a coalition government or in times of national emergency, when a proper chain of command is necessary.

The first Deputy Prime Minister of India was Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who was also home minister in Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet. The office has since been only intermittently occupied. The seventh and last deputy prime minister was L. K. Advani, who took on the role in addition to his home ministership from 2002 to 2004 in Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government. The current government does not have a Deputy Prime Minister.

List of Deputy Prime Ministers of India

Colour key

№	Deputy Prime Minister (Portfolio)	Term of office		Political party (Alliance)
1	Sardar Vallabhai Patel (Minister of Home Affairs)	15 August 1947	15 December 1950	Indian National Congress	Jawaharlal Nehru
2	Morarji Desai (Minister of Finance)	21 March 1967	6 December 1969	Indian National Congress	Indira Gandhi
3	Charan Singh (Minister of Home Affairs & Minister of Finance)	24 March 1977	28 July 1979	Janata Party	Morarji Desai
4	Jagjivan Ram (Minister of Defence)	24 March 1977	28 July 1979	Janata Party	Morarji Desai
5	Yashwantrao Chavan (Minister of Home Affairs)	28 July 1979	14 January 1980	Indian National Congress (Socialist)	Charan Singh
6	Chaudhary Devi Lal	2 December 1989	21 June 1991	Janata Dal (National Front)	V. P. Singh
6	Chaudhary Devi Lal	2 December 1989	21 June 1991	Janata Dal (National Front)	Chandra Shekhar
7	L. K. Advani (Minister of Home Affairs)	29 June 2002	22 May 2004	Bharatiya Janata Party (NDA)	Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Heads of the Ministries of the Government of India

Leadership	Prime Minister Deputy Prime Minister

Ministries	Home Affairs Finance External Affairs Defence

Ministries	Railways Agriculture HRD Parliamentary Affairs Commerce and Industry Development of North Eastern Region Science and Technology Textiles Coal Law and Justice Minority Affairs Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Rural Development Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Chemicals and Fertilizers Communications and Information Technology Mines Labour and Employment Tribal Affairs Health and Family Welfare Civil Aviation Information and Broadcasting Panchayati Raj

Categories

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Deputy Prime Minister of India