Veteran BJP leader becomes third LG of the Union Territory
Diplomat Correspondent
Leh, (DD): Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kavinder Gupta was sworn in as the new Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh on Friday, following his recent appointment by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu.
The oath of office was administered by Justice Arun Palli, Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, at a formal ceremony held at Raj Niwas in Leh. Chief Secretary Pawan Kotwal read out the official warrant of appointment.
Gupta succeeds Brigadier (Retd.) B. D. Mishra, who had assumed the role in February 2024. He becomes the third Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh since it was designated a Union Territory in 2019. The inaugural LG was former IAS officer R. K. Mathur.
A seasoned politician from Janipur, Jammu, 66-year-old Gupta has held several key positions during his political career. He served as Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir in 2018 during the BJP-PDP coalition government.
Gupta also holds the distinction of being elected Mayor of Jammu three times between 2005 and 2010, setting a record in the municipal governance of the city. He has also served as General Secretary of BJP’s J&K unit and headed the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) in the region for two consecutive terms between 1993 and 1998.
In 2014, he made his legislative debut by defeating senior Congress leader and former minister Raman Bhalla from the Gandhi Nagar constituency, after which he was elected Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
Gupta’s political journey began during the Emergency period, during which he was imprisoned for nearly 13 months due to his association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He has also served as Secretary of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).
His appointment as LG of Ladakh is being seen as a significant move aimed at strengthening administrative outreach and further integrating the region with national development goals.(DD)
