New Delhi: Rajasthan’s former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot has separated from his wife Sara Abdullah, revealed his poll affidavit in the state elections.

Pilot’s election affidavit describes his marital status as ‘divorced’, implying that the couple have parted ways, apparently owing to irreconcilable differences between the duo.

Notably, the senior Congress leader, often credited for nurturing party’s strong voter base in the state, is contesting polls from Tonk Legislative Assembly seat.

He filed his nomination papers for the upcoming Assembly polls from Tonk constituency on October 31. Before filing nomination papers, he offered prayers at the Bhuteshwar Mahadev temple and then headed to Tonk’s Patel Chowk with his supporters to file nomination papers.

While filing his nomination papers for contesting Assmebly elections, Pilot wrote his marital status as ‘divorced’.

For the uninitiated, Sachin Pilot and Sara Abdullah had tied the knot way back in 2004. Sara is the daughter of National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah and sister of former J&K CM Omar Abdullah.

When the pressmen queried Sachin Pilot’s assistant staff, they downplayed the issue and said they don’t know much about it.

1st official confirmation of divorce

This is the first official confirmation of Sachin & Sara divorce, though talks of differences arose earlier also. The duo had reportedly fallen in love during college graduation and then married each other.

बड़ी अपडेट : आज नामांकन में सचिन पायलट ने बताया कि उनका तलाक हो चुका है। pic.twitter.com/jHDien5EYy

— Santosh kumar Pandey (@PandeyKumar313) October 31, 2023

Sachin & Sara Pilot together have two sons – Aran Pilot & Vihaan Pilot.

2004 marriage and divorce rumours in 2014

It may be noted that Congress tall face in Rajasthan tied the knot with Sara in 2004. Both have been through thick and thin of Sachin Pilot’s tumultuous political journey. When Sachin Pilot was sworn in as Deputy CM of Rajasthan in 2018, the oath ceremony was also attended by their two sons & Farooq Abdullah.

Nine years ago, murmurs of divorce between the couple circulated in the political corridors of Rajasthan. Some reports in 2014 claimed that the couple may part ways soon, however, this was dismissed as rumours.

Rajasthan’s political battle

Polling for the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly will take place in single phase on November 25 and the results will be out on December 3. Last date for filing nominations is November 6. The BJP is yet to announce a challenger to Pilot from the Tonk constituency.

In previous 2018 Assembly elections, Sachin Pilot had contested from the same Tonk constituency and won it by a whopping margin of 54,000 votes by defeating BJP’s Yoonus Khan.