New Delhi: The President of India has appointed Kavinder Gupta, the former deputy chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, as the new Lieutenant Governor of the Ladakh Union Territory.
The appointment marks a significant shift, as Gupta is the first politician to assume this role, which has previously been held by non-political appointees, including retired IAS officer Radha Krishna Mathur and Army veteran Brigadier (Dr.) B. D. Mishra. Gupta’s political background includes serving as the deputy chief minister in the Mehooba Mufti-led government, which fell in June 2018 due to the BJP’s withdrawal of support, citing security concerns. He has a notable history in local governance, having been elected mayor of Jammu for three consecutive terms from 2005 to 2010. In the 2014 Assembly elections, he won a seat in the Legislative Assembly from the Gandhinagar constituency, defeating Congress candidate Raman Bhalla, and later served as the assembly speaker in 2015. His appointment as Lieutenant Governor follows the acceptance of Brig. (Dr.) B. D. Mishra’s resignation from the position.
