Election frontrunner Narendra Modi. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
The 63-year-old is routinely described as a bachelor and is thought to have lived alone in his adult life having come through the ranks of a grassroots Hindu nationalist organisation in which celibacy is expected.
Media reports have described how he walked away from a marriage arranged by his parents when he was a child, but this has never been confirmed by the man himself who has portrayed his single status as a virtue while campaigning.
In an affidavit on Wednesday as he filed his papers to stand as a member of parliament from the Vadadora constituency in western Gujarat state, he acknowledged that he had a wife.
In the column of the affidavit to mention spouses, the chief minister of Gujarat wrote the name "Jashodaben", but he states elsewhere in the filing that he had "no information" about her.
Reports have consistently stated that he was betrothed to a 62-year-old now-retired school teacher called Jashodaben, who gave an interview in February in which she said she didn't "feel bad" about not being part of Modi's life.
The relationship is believed to have never been consummated.
Modi, a Hindu nationalist consistently ahead in the polls, told a biographer recently that he "actually enjoys loneliness" and has said that because he has no children he is more likely to be a clean politician.
"I've no familial ties. Who would I ever try to benefit through corruption?" he told a recent rally.
He has contested four times for seats in Gujarat's regional assembly but has never stated his marital status on the affidavits.
India's mammoth national election, which entered the third of nine phases on Thursday with almost a fifth of the 543 seats in the parliament up for grabs, has been described as a "battle of the bachelors".
Modi's main opponent Rahul Gandhi from the ruling Congress party, which has been in power nationally since 2004, is single.
Unlike in many other democracies, being unmarried is not seen as a handicap in India because Hinduism has a strong tradition of asceticism in which followers renounce worldly pleasures.
Other parts of Modi's personal story remain unclear, particularly a period as a young man when he is believed to have wandered in the Himalayas on a journey of spiritual discovery.
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I am curious to know what Narendra Modi declared regarding his marital status in his passport and all the VISA applications for which he had applied, specially the US Visa he had. Can AFP throw some light on this?
Not being married or celibacy is considered a political asset? That's weird even by Eastern standards...rather pointless to go through the trouble to mysteriously hide or evade something like that simply to appease a political group's religious or cultural ideology...Modi's candidacy really does remind one of Republican candidates appealing to the Rush Limbaugh mobs...only he's got more contentious and grave baggage than simply being married (arranged is a social norm, even unfortunately if its forced and problematic) and separated (which on the other hand is an issue for US candidates, which is weird even by Western standards).
@unbelievable: The rating you received is "unbelievable", considering on both counts you are dead wrong!
@ it's known all along to media as controversy thanks to congress raising it again and again. separated for 40 years. Who knows in that time they even had or made a marriage certificate. You need proofs,certificates to prove he's married or he can sue you for hundred crores in court for defaming him, demand compensation like all others recently have done. Media doesn't take that risk unless it's fully confident of sources. It always mentioned it in media as " as alleged by congress that he is married" till his ex wife came out and spoke they were married one time but never consummated or met past 40 years. His form declaration now is just finality and admission. That wasn't some fame hungry woman lying but an ex wife speaking the truth. Since he has never spoken about his personal life. Its fuel to fire by trp seeking media and congress to exploit it as rss don't marry and lead the life of ascetic serving the country as national duty. Congress it's trying to prove his farce by stating he's married and not patriot or rss but opportunistic.
At least he aint a liar and he doesnt have corruption money stashed away.
@unbelievable
India is quite a bit more tolerant than the US in these matters. In any case, the fact that he was once married is very widely known. His wife was interviewed some weeks back. She is a wellwisher of Modi. So this really is a non-issue except for the chronically clueless.
Sorry to break your breaking news bubble.
@Patriotic Pakistani Total Siyapa before the elections…..
May be for you misinformed pakisatani patriot. Everybody in india knows about modi's arranged marriage which had walked away from.
India must have terrible journalist if they can't do basic investigation to determine the marital status of a leading politician. Can you imagine someone running for President of the USA with an "unknown" marital status - better yet can you imagine someone running for President of the USA who held himself out as a bachelor only to have a wife turn up on election day? . Tells you something about Modi .. he's an accomplished deceiver and that's not a great trait in someone trying to lead and emerging nation like India.
....does it make any difference ?.......its HIS personal issue.
"In the column of the affidavit to mention spouses, the chief minister of Gujarat wrote the name “Jashodaben”, but he states elsewhere in the filing that he had “no information” about her." He did not say he has no information about her but that he does not know what her financial assets are.
I don't care if he got married when he was 17 and separated at 20 since it has absolutely no relevance to my vote. For those who ask why he has suddenly acknowledged his wife in an official document - this time the Election Commission has forbidden candidates from leaving any field blank (unlike in the assembly elections), and this has forced him to state her name - otherwise given that they have been separated for 40 years (more than 2/3rd of their lives), it is understandable that he prefers not to indicate any relationship unless pressed to do so.
Total Siyapa before the elections.....
He has never denied/ accepted he's not married. He only kept mum on question. Or left the page blank. Its others who assumed things. They didn't consummate their marriage and separated after marriage. It's frowned upon in rss to get married. Their ideology is to stay single and serve the nation, not get embroiled in worldly family matters and desires.