Kavinder Gupta takes oath as Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh

Kargil, July 18: Senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Kavinder Gupta took oath as the Lieutenant Governor of UT Ladakh on Friday.

He was administered the oath by the Chief Justice of the High Court of J&K & Ladakh, Justice Arun Palli.

CEC LAHDC Kargil, CEC LAHDC Leh, Member of Parliament Ladakh, Chief Secretary Ladakh, all Administrative Secretaries and other dignitaries attended the ceremony held at Raj Niwas Ladakh.

The President of India had on Monday appointed Gupta as Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Union Territory.

His appointment came after the president accepted the resignation of Brig (Retd) Dr B D Mishra as Lt Governor of Ladakh. Gupta replaced Brig (Retd) Dr B D Mishra who was appointed as the LG Ladakh in February 2023.

The President’s Secretariat, in an official communication, announced the appointment of Kavinder Gupta as the new LG of Ladakh.

Gupta’s appointment has come ahead of the next round of talks between MHA and Ladakh leaders likely next week. The leaders of Ladakh are demanding 6th Schedule status, statehood with legislature and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts of Ladakh UT.

Gupta will be the third Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh UT since it was carved out from erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.

Gupta served as Deputy Chief Minister of PDP-BJP coalition government in 2018. He has also served as Speaker of J&K Legislative Assembly and Mayor of Jammu.