Jammu : Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta resigned from his post on Thursday, nearly eight months after assuming office. Gupta had taken oath as the third Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory on July 18, 2025.
His tenure came at a time of growing unrest in Ladakh. Several civil society groups and regional organisations, including the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance, have been staging protests demanding statehood for Ladakh, Sixth Schedule protections, and reservation in government jobs for local residents.
Reports also indicated that Gupta faced public anger during his visit to a local monastery on Wednesday, reflecting the growing dissatisfaction among sections of the public.
Gupta, 66, began his public life at a young age. He joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at the age of 13 and was imprisoned for 13 months during the Emergency. He later served as the Secretary of the Punjab unit of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (1978–1979) and as President of the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Bharatiya Yuva Morcha from 1993 to 1998.
He also had a long career in municipal politics. Gupta was elected Mayor of Jammu for a record three consecutive terms from 2005 to 2010. In the 2014 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, he contested as a candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was elected from the Gandhinagar constituency in Jammu, defeating Congress leader and sitting MLA Raman Bhalla.
On March 19, 2015, Gupta was elected Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, becoming the first BJP leader to hold the post. Later, on April 30, 2018, he was appointed Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, succeeding Nirmal Kumar Singh following a cabinet reshuffle.
However, his tenure as Deputy Chief Minister lasted only 51 days. On June 19, 2018, he resigned after the BJP withdrew its support from the coalition government with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led by then Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
At the time, BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav announced the end of the alliance, criticising the government for failing in its responsibilities and citing increasing violence, threats to fundamental rights, and rising radicalisation as reasons for the decision.
Gupta was later appointed the third Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh on July 14, 2025, and formally took oath on July 18, 2025. His resignation on Thursday brings an early end to his tenure as the Union Territory’s administrative head.
