Who is Sara Abdullah, the ex-wife of Sachin Pilot?
Congress leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot, on Tuesday, filed his nomination for the upcoming assembly elections from Tonk. His affidavit revealed his divorce from Sara Abdullah, whom he married in 2004 and has two sons, Aaran and Vehaan. While there had been some whispers about their estrangement because Sara rarely stayed in Jaipur, this marked the first time Pilot publicly acknowledged their separation. Sara is the daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir CM Farooq Abdullah.
What we know about Sara's family
Sara was born in Kashmir and lived there till she was 12 years old, but relocated to London, United Kingdom, as the situation worsened. Her father Farooq was the president of the National Conference Party and the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir three times (1982-1984, 1986-1990, and 1996-2002). Her brother, Omar Abdullah, was the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir from 2009 to 2015. Despite being from a political family, she has reiterated that she "doesn't understand politics."
Sara fought her family to marry Pilot
Sara and Pilot first met while studying in London. Pilot's father, Rajesh Pilot, and Sara's father were friends. However, neither of their families agreed to their marriage. Sara belonged to a Kashmiri Sunni Muslim family, while Pilot was raised in a Hindu Gujjar family. Despite the odds, the couple got married in 2004 and subsequently had two sons.
Pilot listed Sara as wife in 2018 affidavit
In his 2018 electoral affidavit, the Congress leader named Sara as his spouse. She, along with their kids, had also attended his swearing-in ceremony as Rajasthan's deputy chief minister in Jaipur. While her official address still shows Jaipur, she has been seldom seen in the pink city. Speaking at a chat show earlier, Sara mentioned that it was Pilot who "picked up the pieces of her" after their marriage and its opposition by her family.
Sara co-founded an NGO with Lora Prabhu
Sara graduated with a Bachelor of Hotel Management and did her Masters in International Affairs. She has previously worked with UNIFEM (United Nations Development Fund for Women), a part of UNICEF. In 2009, she founded her own NGO, the Centre for Equity and Inclusion (CEQUIN), along with Lora Prabhu. At present, she is believed to be working for her NGO in New Delhi.
Pilot's wealth nearly doubles in five years
Pilot's election affidavit also discloses that his net worth has nearly doubled over the past five years. In 2018, his total assets were estimated to be around Rs 3.8 crore ($510,000). By 2023, this figure had grown to a projected value of Rs 7.5 crore ($1 million). The Rajasthan Assembly Election is set to take place on November 25, and the results will be announced on December 3.
