Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has married journalist Nidhi Razdan, with the two sharing photographs from their wedding on social media on Saturday, October 31.
Abdullah posted photographs with Razdan on X, writing, “A new journey began yesterday,” while tagging her and adding a ring emoji. Razdan shared the same set of pictures on her social media account with the caption, “It's done bro,” accompanied by a ring emoji.
According to reports, the marriage was solemnised on Friday under the Special Marriage Act, with family members from both sides present as witnesses. Wedding ceremonies were held in Srinagar and New Delhi and attended by close relatives.
The development comes months after the Supreme Court formally dissolved Abdullah's marriage with his estranged wife, Payal Nath, in July this year, following a prolonged legal battle.
Razdan had recently been seen accompanying Abdullah at several public events, fuelling speculation about their relationship.
Omar Abdullah's previous marriage and two sons
Abdullah married Payal Nath in 1994. The couple have two sons, Zahir and Zamir. However, they began living separately in 2009, with Abdullah continuing to stay in Jammu and Kashmir while Payal and their sons remained in Delhi.
Their separation eventually led to a lengthy legal dispute over divorce proceedings, with Abdullah seeking dissolution of the marriage on grounds of cruelty.
In December 2023, the Delhi High Court rejected Abdullah's plea, upholding an earlier order passed by a Delhi family court in August 2016. The High Court observed that his allegations of cruelty against Payal were vague and did not establish sufficient grounds for granting a divorce.
Payal had argued that she could not relocate to Kashmir because of security concerns and the educational needs of their children, who were studying in Delhi. The trial court had also refused to grant Abdullah a divorce on grounds of cruelty on August 30, 2016.
Abdullah subsequently challenged the High Court's December 12, 2023, judgment before the Supreme Court.
Supreme Court dissolves marriage after years of legal battle
The prolonged matrimonial dispute was finally resolved in July 2026, when the Supreme Court dissolved Abdullah and Payal's marriage after the two reached an agreement to end their relationship by mutual consent.
The development followed years of litigation, during which the court had also attempted to facilitate a settlement between the estranged couple.
The divorce settlement came after Abdullah challenged the Delhi High Court's refusal to grant him a decree of divorce on grounds of cruelty.
The financial arrangements between the two had also been contested during the legal proceedings. The Delhi High Court had earlier directed Abdullah to pay Payal interim maintenance of ₹1.5 lakh per month towards her expenses, along with ₹60,000 each for the education of their two sons.
Payal had subsequently approached the court seeking an increase in the interim maintenance amount. However, the High Court rejected her request through a separate order passed in August 2023. She also challenged that order before the Supreme Court.
With the Supreme Court dissolving the marriage in July this year, the legal dispute between Abdullah and Payal came to an end, paving the way for his marriage to Razdan.