SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has married senior journalist and television anchor Nidhi Razdan, bringing an end to years of speculation about their relationship. The couple announced their marriage through social media posts on Saturday, sharing photographs from the wedding celebrations held in the presence of close family members.
Abdullah, 56, shared four photographs of the couple on X, accompanied by the message, “A new journey began yesterday,” tagging Razdan in the post. Nidhi, 49, also shared the photographs, responding with a characteristically informal message: “It’s done bro.” Both added a ring emoji to their posts.
The marriage was solemnised on Friday, October 30, in New Delhi under the Special Marriage Act, according to reports. Family members from both sides were present as witnesses. Wedding-related celebrations were also held in Srinagar, bringing together relatives and close family friends.
Among those attending were Abdullah’s parents, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and Mollie Abdullah, his three sisters and other relatives. Razdan’s parents, veteran journalist MK Razdan and Sarla Razdan, were also present.
The photographs shared by the couple offered a glimpse of the private celebrations. In one, Abdullah and Razdan are seen posing together on an ornate wooden staircase decorated with floral arrangements and framed artwork. Another photograph shows them standing beneath an arch adorned with pink and white flowers.
Razdan wore a traditional red-and-gold ensemble, while Abdullah appeared in a blue bandhgala. The couple were seen smiling in the photographs, which quickly attracted congratulatory messages from political leaders, journalists and people from different walks of life.
For Abdullah, the marriage marks his second. He married Payal Nath on September 1, 1994. The couple has two sons, Zahir and Zamir, but had been living separately for several years, with Payal and their children residing in Delhi while Abdullah remained in Jammu and Kashmir. Of late, however, his sons live with their father, practice law and are visible in party activities also.
Their matrimonial dispute remained before the courts for years. Abdullah had initially approached the Delhi courts seeking dissolution of the marriage, alleging cruelty. However, his divorce petition was dismissed by a trial court in 2016, a decision subsequently upheld by the Delhi High Court.
The High Court found that the allegations of cruelty were vague and did not establish sufficient grounds for granting a divorce. The court also considered Payal’s position that she had not moved to Kashmir because of security concerns and the education of their children, who were studying in Delhi.
The legal proceedings eventually reached the Supreme Court. On July 31, 2026, the court dissolved the marriage after both parties informed it that they had resolved their outstanding differences through mediation and had agreed to end the relationship by mutual consent.
A bench comprising Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe exercised the Supreme Court’s powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to bring the prolonged matrimonial dispute to a close. The settlement also provided for the withdrawal of cases pending between the two sides.
During the proceedings, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Abdullah, informed the court that the parties had arrived at a settlement and jointly sought dissolution of the marriage.
The Delhi High Court had earlier directed Abdullah to pay Payal Rs 1.5 lakh per month towards her maintenance and Rs 60,000 each for the educational expenses of their two sons.
Payal Nath, who largely stayed away from the political activities of the Abdullah family, has pursued business interests, including ventures associated with mineral water, travel and tourism.
Omar’s wife, Nidhi Razdan, is among India’s recognised television journalists, having spent more than two decades in broadcast journalism. She became widely known for anchoring NDTV 24×7’s political discussion programme Left, Right & Centre, through which she covered national politics, elections, international affairs and major developments across the country.
After working with NDTV for more than 22 years, she resigned from the network in 2023. She is also the author of Left, Right & Centre: The Idea of India, a book examining India’s political landscape and democratic institutions.
Razdan is the daughter of veteran journalist MK Razdan and Sarla Razdan. Her marriage to Abdullah is also her second. She was earlier married to journalist and lyricist Neelesh Misra.
The marriage brings together two personalities who have occupied prominent positions in India’s public life, one in electoral politics and the other in broadcast journalism.
Abdullah, who heads the National Conference-led government in Jammu and Kashmir, has been a central figure in the region’s politics for several decades. He previously served as Chief Minister between 2009 and 2014 and returned to office following the National Conference’s victory in the 2024 Assembly elections.
The couple’s announcement on Saturday has now formally made public a personal development that had attracted considerable speculation over the years.
