Overview
- Gupta took the oath on July 18 at Ladakh Raj Niwas in Leh, administered by Justice Arun Palli after President Droupadi Murmu appointed him to succeed Brigadier B D Mishra.
- He becomes the first political appointee to the post since Ladakh’s 2019 formation, drawing on experience as Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief minister, assembly speaker and three-term Jammu mayor.
- Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said Gupta must balance the interests of Leh’s Buddhist majority and Kargil’s Muslim community to win public trust.
- Gupta pledged to remedy long-standing discrimination and elevate Ladakh as a premier global tourism destination.
- His past ‘land jihad’ remarks and disputed land encroachment allegations have resurfaced, prompting calls for transparent governance.