On Friday, Kavinder Gupta, a senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, was sworn in as the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Ladakh.
The oath was administered by Justice Arun Palli, the Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The ceremony, held at Raj Niwas Ladakh, was attended by notable figures including the Chief Executive Councillors of LAHDC Kargil and LAHDC Leh, the Member of Parliament from Ladakh, the Chief Secretary of Ladakh, and other administrative secretaries and dignitaries.
Gupta’s appointment was announced by the President of India on Monday, following the acceptance of the resignation of Brigadier (Retd) Dr. B.D. Mishra, who had served as LG Ladakh since February 2023. This marks Gupta as the third Lieutenant Governor of the Ladakh Union Territory since its formation in 2019, when it was carved out from the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Gupta brings significant political experience to his new role, having previously served as the Deputy Chief Minister in the PDP-BJP coalition government in 2018. He has also held positions as the Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and the Mayor of Jammu.
His appointment comes as the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is expected to hold another round of talks next week with leaders from Ladakh, who are advocating for Sixth Schedule status, statehood with a legislature, and separate Lok Sabha seats for the Leh and Kargil districts within the UT.
