Vinai Kumar Saxena Arrives in Leh; Set to be Sworn In as 4th Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh
LEH, March 12, 2026: In a significant leadership transition for the Union Territory, Lieutenant Governor-designate Vinai Kumar Saxena received a resounding welcome upon his arrival at Kushok Bakula Rimpochee (KBR) Airport today.
A high-profile delegation, including Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra, Director General of Police Mukesh Singh, and BJP State President Tashi Gyalson Khachu, joined religious leaders and local citizens to greet the incoming administrator.
Saxena is officially slated to take his oath of office tomorrow, March 13, at 12:30 PM at the Arya Nagarjuna Auditorium of the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies (CIBS), Choglamsar. The ceremony will be presided over by Justice Arun Palli, Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
Saxena succeeds Kavinder Gupta, who recently transitioned to the role of Governor of Himachal Pradesh. This appointment marks a new chapter for Ladakh, as Saxena brings a reputation for transformative governance from his previous tenure as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, which concluded on March 10.
His time in the National Capital was defined by large-scale aesthetic upgrades, the rejuvenation of the Yamuna floodplains, and the restoration of historical heritage sites.
Before departing for his new mountainous assignment, Saxena was accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour by the Delhi Police at Indira Gandhi International Airport, where senior officials and civil society members gathered to acknowledge his four years of impactful service in Delhi.