| Post | Lieutenant Governor |
|---|---|
| Body | Ladakh |
| Insignia | Seal of Ladakh.png |
| Insigniasize | 150px |
| Insigniacaption | Seal of Ladakh |
| Incumbent | Vinai Kumar Saxena[1] |
| Incumbentsince | 13 March 2026 |
| Style | The Honourable His Excellency |
| Residence | Lok Niwas, Leh[2] |
| Termlength | Five Years |
| Appointer | President of India |
| Formation | 31 October 2019 (age 6) |
| Inaugural | R. K. Mathur |
| Website | Official website |
| Status | Head of State |
This is a list of lieutenant governors of Ladakh, a Union territory of India that came into existence on 31 October 2019. The lieutenant governor is directly appointed by the president of India, The lieutenant governor acts as the representative of the Central Government who is not obliged to the Legislature, which in case of Ladakh does not have a legislature. The Central Government governs the territory via the lieutenant governor.
On 13th March 2026, Vinai Kumar Saxena took oath as the 4th lieutenant governor of Ladakh following the resignation of then LG Kavinder Gupta. A member of the Bharatiya Janata Party , Saxena was previously the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.
Background
In 5th August 2019, a Reorganisation Act was passed by both houses of the Indian Parliament. The provisions contained in the reorganised the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories; Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on 31 October 2019. The act established the position of Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh.[3]
History
The inaugural lieutenant governor was former defence secretary and chief information commissioner Radha Krishna Mathur who took over on 31 October 2019. He served in office until being removed in February 2023. Mathur was succeeded by Arunachal Pradesh governor Brigadier B. D. Mishra on 16 February 2023. Mishra was succeeded by Kavinder Gupta on 18 July 2025. Gupta was succeeded by Vinai Kumar Saxena on 13 March 2026.
Lieutenant governors of Ladakh
- Legend
- Died in office
- Transferred
- Resigned/removed
- Color key
- indicates acting/additional charge
| Portrait | Name (lifespan) | Home state/ UT | Tenure in office | Appointed by | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Time in office | |||||
| 1 | Radha Krishna Mathur IAS (Retd.) (born 1953) | Uttar Pradesh | 31 October 2019 | 16 February 2023 | ' | Ram Nath Kovind | |
| 2 | Brigadier (Dr.) B. D. Mishra (Retd.) (born 1939) | 16 February 2023 | 18 July 2025 | ' | Droupadi Murmu | ||
| 3 | Kavinder Gupta (born 1960) | Jammu and Kashmir | 18 July 2025 | 13 March 2026 | ' | ||
| 4 | Vinai Kumar Saxena (born 1958) | Uttar Pradesh | 13 March 2026 | Incumbent | ' | ||
Oath
“I, A. B., do swear in the name of God/solemly affirm that I will faithfully execute the office of Lieutenant Governor (or discharge the functions of the Lieutenant Governor) of Ladakh and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law and that I will devote myself to the service and well-being of the people of Ladakh.”
See also
References
- ^ "Ladakh Gets A New Lieutenant Governor Amid Protests Over Statehood Demand"
- ^ "Radha Krishna Mathur | the Administration of Union Territory of Ladakh | India"
- ^ Dr. G. Narayana Raju (9 August 2019). "The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 - NO. 34 OF 2019". Retrieved 12 February 2022.