NewsDrum Informals: Nidhi Razdan plays host at Omar's lunch for media in Delhi

"NewsDrum Informals is a weekly editoral feature, focussing on political whispers. It is our constant effort to offer unique and differentiating content to our readers. NewsDrum Informals brings the political grapevine to you and also keeps you abreast with the news circulating in the corridors of power. Stay tuned."

Do write us at info@newsdrum.in to share your ideas and suggestions for this column.

New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah hosted a lunch for journalists in Delhi on Sunday.

The rival political party of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), the People's Democratic Party (PDP) criticised Omar Abdullah for hosting the lunch for media personnel at a time when 17 children have lost their lives in Rajouri due to a mysterious disease. 

While 17 children have lost their lives in Rajouri, the Chief Minister is busy hosting lunch for media friends in Delhi. https://t.co/RhoglYAjmh

— Youth PDP (@YouthJKPDP) January 19, 2025

The highlight of the lunch was the good host played by former NDTV journalist Nidhi Razdan who is the rumoured partner of Omar Abdullah. His father and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah and Nidhi Razdan's father MK Razdan too were present at the lunch hosted at the Jammu and Kashmir House in Delhi. 

Omar Abdullah and Nidhi Razdan were also seen taking pictures with journalists, especially those from NDTV. 

Currently, the Supreme Court is hearing an appeal by Omar Abdullah seeking divorce from his estranged wife Payal Abdullah. Omar Abdullah filed a plea in the Supreme Court last year, challenging a Delhi High Court order dated December 12, 2023, which upheld a family court's decision denying him a divorce from his estranged wife. 

The couple has been living separately for over 15 years. They have two sons. 

XXXXXX

Gandhi family, Kharge skips Manish Tewari's reception

No member of the Gandhi family attended the reception hosted by Congress party's Lok Sabha member from Chandigarh Manish Tewari for his daughter's wedding at the India Habitat Centre on Sunday. Surprisingly, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also gave it a miss. 

However, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, who is also the Chandigarh administrator, attended the function. Tewari's colleagues in G-23 Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma were present. Azad has since quit the Congress and formed his own party. 

The absence of the Gandhi family members prompted many Congress leaders to point out that the relationship between them and Tewari has turned irreconcilable. They also feel that Tewari is feeling unwanted in the Congress. 

Many of his friends have even suggested to Tewari to quit the Congress and the Lok Sabha and fight the by-election on a BJP ticket insisting that he will definitely win the by-poll from Chandigarh as a BJP candidate.