Former Chief Minister and Vice-President of National Conference Omar Abdullah, who is the party’s candidate for the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency, admitted that he is separated from his wife and a divorce case is pending before the Supreme Court of India.
In serial number 2 of the affidavit filed by the National Conference candidate for the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency, Omar Abdullah clearly mentioned in the “Spouse” column -“Separated, Case for divorce pending before the Supreme Court of India”.
Omar Abdullah has not shared any information in the “Spouse” column in his 18-page election affidavit.
Earlier Delhi High Court rejected Omar’s divorce plea
It’s noteworthy that in December 2023, the Delhi High Court dismissed Omar Abdullah’s petition for divorce from his estranged wife, Payal Abdullah. According to reports, a panel comprising Justices Sanjeev Sachdeva and Vikas Mahajan upheld the trial court’s decision denying Abdullah’s request for divorce.
The high court, in its dismissal of Omar Abdullah’s appeal against the trial court’s 2016 ruling, declared the case lacked merit. Abdullah had sought a divorce from his estranged wife, Payal Abdullah, citing cruelty towards him.
The court found no flaws in the family court’s conclusion that the allegations of cruelty were vague and unsubstantiated. The judgment stressed that Abdullah failed to provide evidence of any acts, whether physical or mental, that could be considered as cruelty. In 2016, the trial court rejected Abdullah’s plea for divorce, asserting his inability to prove his claims of “cruelty” or “desertion,” the grounds he cited for the divorce decree.
In a detailed declaration submitted as part of his nomination affidavit, Omar Abdullah disclosed that neither he nor his spouse or dependents own any residential house, agricultural land, or immovable assets.
In comparison Abdullah’s previous poll affidavit from 2014, when he contested assembly elections from Srinagar’s Sonwar assembly segment, reveals a decrease of more than 16 percent in his movable assets. They have declined from 65.59 lacs in 2014 to 54.45 lacs—a total reduction of 11.45 lacs over the past decade.
Of note is Abdullah’s consistent status of not possessing any residential property or agricultural land, which has remained unchanged since his tenure as Chief Minister. This stance was reaffirmed in his recent declaration submitted before the returning officer in Baramulla on May 2, this year, where he is contesting as NC’s candidate for the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency.
His primary source of income is a pension as a former legislator and parliament member. Notably, he does not have any loans or liabilities from banks. His income has fluctuated over the years, with earnings of Rs 7,92,093 in 2019-20, Rs 11,73,030 in 2020-21, Rs 13,20,460 in 2021-22, and a significant decrease to Rs 13,20,460 in 2023-24, following a peak of Rs 19,39,620 in 2022-23.
