Jammu Tawi, Mar 6 : Senior BJP leader Kavinder Gupta on Friday called the responsibility to serve the nation a matter of great pride and expressed his gratitude to the president, prime minister and home minister after his appointment as the governor of Himachal Pradesh.
Gupta said, as the governor of Himachal Pradesh, he will uphold the dignity of the Constitution and perform his duties with dedication, impartiality and commitment.
“It is a matter of great pride and responsibility for me to serve the nation in this important role,” he said in a message.
Gupta also expressed special thanks to President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for their continuous guidance and full support during his tenure as the lieutenant governor (LG) of Ladakh. After serving the Union territory (UT) for over eight months, he resigned from the post of the LG on Thursday.
The 66-year-old was appointed as the Ladakh LG on July 18, 2025. He was the third LG since the UT was carved out of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019.
A senior BJP leader from Jammu, Gupta has previously served as deputy chief minister of what was formerly the state of Jammu and Kashmir, and as the speaker of the legislative assembly. He has also been the mayor of Jammu.
Vinai Kumar Saxena, the former LG of Delhi, has been appointed Ladakh’s next lieutenant governor.
Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary said, “Congratulations to Kavinder Gupta. Ladakh was a small area, and he is a capable person. From now on, people will also recognise his capabilities.”
He added that Gupta’s appointment as the governor of Himachal Pradesh is a matter of pride for Jammu and Kashmir, as he is a “son of the soil”.
Four J&K Men who rose to Raj Bhavans
Jammu Tawi, Mar 6: The appointment of Kavinder Gupta, former Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, as the Governor of Himachal Pradesh has generated significant interest in the Union Territory. Very few people, however, know that four other natives of J&K have previously served as Governors in different states across the country.
According to details collected from multiple sources, the number of persons from J&K who have held the office of Governor has now risen to five with Gupta’s appointment.
Mohammad Shafi Qureshi
Mohammad Shafi Qureshi, a politician, served as Governor of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh during the 1990s. He held the office of Governor of Bihar for two years and 147 days (March 19, 1991 – August 13, 1993) and Madhya Pradesh for four years and 301 days (June 24, 1993 – April 21, 1998). He also held the additional charge of Governor of Uttar Pradesh for 77 days (May 3, 1996 – July 19, 1996).
DD Thakur
Devi Das Thakur, former Deputy Chief Minister, served as Governor of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh for less than a year. He held the office of Governor of Assam for 319 days (May 2, 1990 – March 17, 1991) and Arunachal Pradesh for 312 days (May 8, 1990 – March 16, 1991).
Babu Parmanand
Babu Parmanand, a minister in the erstwhile state as well as Speaker of the Assembly, was Governor of Haryana for four years and 12 days (June 9, 2000 – July 1, 2004).
Om Prakash Malhotra
General Om Prakash Malhotra, former Army Chief, was born in Srinagar and received his early education in the summer capital. He served as Governor of Punjab for 232 days (December 18, 1990 – August 7, 1991) and simultaneously held the charge of Administrator of Chandigarh for the same period.
Kavinder Gupta
Kavinder Gupta, former Deputy Chief Minister, is the latest addition to the list of Governors from J&K. During the PDP–BJP rule, Gupta also served as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
