Omar Abdullah marries journalist Nidhi Razdan, announces new beginning on social media

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has married journalist Nidhi Razdan, announcing the news through a social media post on Saturday. The National Conference leader shared a photograph with Razdan on X, revealing that the wedding took place a day earlier on Friday.

In his post, Abdullah wrote, “A new journey began yesterday”, while tagging Razdan. The announcement marks a new chapter in the Chief Minister’s personal life.

A new journey began yesterday 💍@Nidhi https://t.co/BXbdLq2d1H

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 31, 2026

The wedding comes three months after the Supreme Court agreed to dissolve Abdullah’s marriage to his estranged wife, Payal Abdullah, following a mutual settlement between the two.

Razdan, a former executive editor at NDTV, was a familiar face on the channel’s prime-time debates. A Kashmiri Pandit born in Budgam, she has spent more than two decades reporting on Kashmir, maintaining close personal and professional connections with the Valley. She was previously married to journalist and lyricist Neelesh Misra, with the marriage ending in divorce in 2007.

For Omar Abdullah, the wedding comes after a prolonged legal battle to end his marriage to Payal Nath. The two married in 1994 but had been living separately since 2009. In July 2026, the Supreme Court granted them a divorce under Article 142 of the Constitution after both sides reached a mutual agreement to dissolve the marriage and withdraw their pending cases. The couple has two sons.

The wedding appears to have been a private affair, with neither a detailed public announcement nor an official guest list or venue disclosure. Reports indicate that a small reception is being planned at JK House on Prithviraj Road in Delhi, with around 70 to 100 guests expected to attend.

Among those reportedly invited are prominent political figures, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Mehbooba Mufti and senior advocate Kapil Sibal.

Speculation about Abdullah and Razdan’s relationship had circulated for several years. The journalist’s presence at Abdullah’s swearing-in ceremony as Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister in October 2024 had further fuelled talk about their association. Neither had publicly confirmed the relationship before the wedding announcement.

The development comes against the backdrop of Kashmir’s complex political and social landscape. Abdullah, the son of National Conference patriarch Farooq Abdullah, leads a party with a longstanding association with the Valley’s political identity.

His marriage to Razdan, a prominent Kashmiri Pandit journalist with deep roots in the region, has consequently attracted attention beyond the personal sphere.

For some, the union carries symbolic significance in a region where political identity and community ties remain closely intertwined.

The couple, however, kept their announcement simple and understated. A photograph shared on social media, accompanied by a brief message, was enough to confirm the new chapter in their lives.