Sachin Pilot, the Congress leader and former deputy chief minister of Rajasthan, has declared himself a divorcee in his election affidavit filed on Monday. Pilot is contesting from the Tonk assembly seat in the upcoming state polls.
Pilot, who had a bitter fallout with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot last year, has mentioned his marital status as “divorced” in the affidavit. He had earlier stated that he was married to Sara Abdullah, the daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah, in his 2018 affidavit.
According to sources, Pilot and Sara Abdullah got divorced in August this year after a family court in Delhi granted them a decree of divorce by mutual consent. The couple had filed for divorce in 2019, citing irreconcilable differences. They have two sons, who are living with their mother.
Pilot’s divorce has been a subject of speculation in political circles for some time, but this is the first time he has officially confirmed it. Pilot has also declared his assets and liabilities in the affidavit. He owns movable and immovable assets worth Rs 16.62 crore, while his liabilities amount to Rs 25.42 lakh.
Pilot is one of the star candidates of the Congress in the Rajasthan assembly elections, which will be held on November 25. He is pitted against BJP’s Ajit Singh Mehta, who had defeated him by a margin of over 54,000 votes in 2018. Pilot is hoping to regain his lost ground and revive his political fortunes in the state.
