Leh/Jammu, July 18: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kavinder Gupta on Friday took oath as the new Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Ladakh, four days after his appointment by President Droupadi Murmu.
Gupta was administered the oath of office by Justice Arun Palli, Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, during a solemn ceremony at the Ladakh Raj Niwas in Leh. Chief Secretary Pawan Kotwal formally read out the Presidential warrant of appointment.
A seasoned political figure from Jammu, Gupta becomes the third Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, succeeding Brigadier (Retd) B.D. Mishra, who held the post since February this year. Mishra had replaced R.K. Mathur, the first LG of the Union Territory, following its creation in 2019 after the reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir.
The 66-year-old Gupta brings with him decades of political and administrative experience. He served as Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir for a brief period in 2018 during the PDP-BJP coalition and was also Speaker of the J&K Legislative Assembly after the 2014 elections.
A three-time Mayor of Jammu and former MLA from Gandhi Nagar constituency, Gupta is known for his deep grassroots connect and long association with the BJP and the Sangh Parivar. He headed the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) in J&K for two consecutive terms in the 1990s and was also a secretary of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). Notably, he spent over a year in jail during the Emergency as an RSS worker.
With his appointment, the Centre signals a continued emphasis on administrative continuity and political outreach in Ladakh, a region that has witnessed significant transformation since its elevation to Union Territory status.
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