Kavinder Gupta | |
|---|---|
 Gupta in 2025 | |
| Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh | |
| Assumed office 18 July 2025 | |
| President | Droupadi Murmu |
| Prime Minister | Narendra Modi |
| Preceded by | B. D. Mishra |
| Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir | |
| In office 30 April 2018 – 19 June 2018 | |
| Governor | Narinder Nath Vohra |
| Chief Minister | Mehbooba Mufti |
| Preceded by | Nirmal Kumar Singh |
| Succeeded by | President's rule Surinder Kumar Choudhary (UT) |
| Speaker of Vidhan Sabha, Jammu & Kashmir | |
| In office 18 March 2015 – 29 April 2018 | |
| Governor | Narinder Nath Vohra |
| Chief Minister | Mehbooba Mufti |
| Preceded by | Mubarak Gul |
| Succeeded by | Nirmal Kumar Singh |
| Member of Vidhan Sabha, Jammu & Kashmir | |
| In office 23 December 2014 – 2018 | |
| Governor | Narinder Nath Vohra |
| Chief Minister | Mehbooba Mufti |
| Preceded by | Raman Bhalla |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Constituency | Gandhinagar |
| Mayor of Jammu | |
| In office 2005–2010 | |
| Succeeded by | Chander Mohan Gupta |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kavinder Gupta (1959-12-02)2 December 1959 (age 65) |
| Citizenship | Indian |
| Nationality |  Indian |
| Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Residence | Raj Niwas, Leh |
| Occupation | Politician |
Kavinder Gupta (born 2 December 1959) is an Indian politician serving as the current and 3rdLieutenant Governor of Ladakh since 2025.[1] Previously, he served as the lastDeputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir state. Also he formerly served as the speaker of the Jammu & Kashmir Vidhan Sabha.
Kavinder Gupta was born on 2 December 1959. He has three children – two daughters and one son.[2]
Gupta joined theRashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh at the age of thirteen. He was jailed for thirteen months duringThe Emergency. Gupta served as the secretary of thePunjab unit of theVishva Hindu Parishad from 1978 to 1979. He also served as the chief of theJammu and Kashmir unit of theBharatiya Yuva Morcha from 1993 till 1998.[3]
Gupta was elected mayor of the city ofJammu for a record three consecutive terms, from 2005 to 2010.[2] In the2014 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election, he contested as a member ofBharatiya Janata Party and was elected aMember of Legislative Assembly from theGandhinagar constituency. He defeated Raman Bhalla of theIndian National Congress, the incumbent.[2] On 19 March 2015, Gupta was electedspeaker of the assembly. He also became the first ever Bharatiya Janata Party leader to be appointed the speaker.[4]
On 30 April 2018, Gupta was appointed theDeputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir state as a part of a cabinet reshuffle. He succeededNirmal Kumar Singh.[5]
On 19 June 2018, Gupta resigned from the post of Deputy Chief Minister after 51 days of taking the oath as BJP pulled out from the alliance with PDP.Ram Madhav, then BJP National General Secretary, presided over the press conference in which the announcement to end the alliance was made. He criticised the CMMehbooba Mufti-led government, saying it had "failed in its responsibility." He added that increase in violence, threat to fundamental rights and increase in radicalisation were the main factors behind the BJP's decision to quit the J&K coalition government.[6][7]
He was appointed 3rdLieutenant Governor of Ladakh on 14 July 2025 byDroupadi Murmu.[8]
In February 2015, Gupta courted controversy by blaming theRohingya Muslim refugees for the2018 Sunjuwan attack on an army camp.[5] After being sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state, Gupta stated that theKathua rape case was a "small incident [which] should not be given too much importance". Hindu right-wing groups had held rallies supporting the accused in the case, the gang-rape and murder of an eight-year-old Muslim girl. He faced criticism from oppositionIndian National Congress and opposition leaderOmar Abdullah. Gupta later said that the media had misinterpreted his comment.[9]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh 18 July 2025 – Present | Incumbent |