Rabri Devi | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Rabri in 2005 | |
| Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Council | |
| Assumed office 14 February 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Hari Sahni |
| In office 13 April 2022 – 9 August 2022 | |
| Leader | Nitish Kumar |
| Preceded by | herself |
| Succeeded by | Samrat Chaudhary |
| In office 12 May 2018 – 23 June 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Sushil Modi |
| Succeeded by | herself |
| 21st Chief Minister of Bihar | |
| In office 11 March 2000 – 6 March 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Nitish Kumar |
| Succeeded by | President's rule |
| In office 9 March 1999 – 2 March 2000 | |
| Preceded by | President's rule |
| Succeeded by | Nitish Kumar |
| In office 25 July 1997 – 11 February 1999 | |
| Preceded by | Lalu Prasad Yadav |
| Succeeded by | President's rule |
| Member of Bihar Legislative Council | |
| Assumed office 7 May 2012 | |
| Constituency | elected by Legislative assembly members |
| In office 11 December 1997 – 2 June 2000 | |
| Constituency | elected by Legislative assembly members |
| 18th Leader of the Opposition Bihar Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 20 November 2005 – 23 December 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Upendra Kushwaha |
| Succeeded by | Abdul Bari Siddiqui |
| Member of Bihar Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 2 June 2000 – 26 November 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Lalu Prasad |
| Succeeded by | Satish Kumar Yadav |
| Constituency | Raghopur |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 1, 1959 Salar Kalan, Bihar, India |
| Party | Rashtriya Janata Dal |
| Other political affiliations | Janata Dal |
| Spouse | |
| Relations | Tej Pratap Singh Yadav (son-in-law) Chiranjeev Rao (son-in-law) Sadhu Yadav (brother) Subhash Prasad Yadav (brother) |
| Children | 9 (including Tejashwi, Tej Pratap and Misa Bharti) |
Rabri Devi[1][2] (Devanagri: राबड़ी देवी,[1][2] IAST: rābar̤ī devī Sanskrit pronunciation: [ɾɑːbəɽiː d̪eːʋiː]) is an Indian politician who currently serves as the leader of the opposition in the Bihar Legislative Council. She served as the chief minister of Bihar almost continuously between 1997 to 2005; she is the first and only woman till date to have held the office. She is also served as leader of the house in legislative assembly). She is a member (MLC) of Bihar Legislative Council and previously served as the leader of the opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly.
A member of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, she is married to Indian politician Lalu Prasad Yadav, the former chief minister of Bihar from 1990–1997. Her sons Tejaswini Yadav & Tej Pratap Yadav were also politicians.
Early life and education
Rabri was born in 1955[3] in Salar Kalan village, located near Mirganj in the Gopalganj district of Bihar. However, she has stated in affidavits submitted for elections that her birth year is as early as 1953.[1][2] Her parents are Sib Prasad Chaudhary[4] and Maharjia Devi. She is named after an Indian sweet as per a custom in her family. Her 3 sisters are similarly named Jalebi, Rasgulla and Paan.[5]
She has studied only up to the fifth standard at a local school in her village. Her parents were hesitant to send their daughters to schools located far away. As a result, none of her sisters got any formal education.[6] Prabhunath Yadav, Subhash Prasad Yadav and Sadhu Yadav are her three brothers.
Political career
Devi became the first female Chief Minister of Bihar on 25 July 1997, after her husband, incumbent chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, was forced to resign following the arrest warrant issued against him in corruption charges relating to the Fodder scam. Her appointment as the chief minister of Bihar is considered one of the most unexpected decisions[7] in Indian political history, as she was a traditional housewife and had no prior interest in politics.[8] She came under severe criticism and mockery, due to her illiteracy and inexperience.[6][9][10]
She went on to rule the state until 2005. She was also the last chief minister of undivided Bihar.[8][7]
Devi was elected thrice to the Bihar Vidhan Sabha from the Raghopur seat. In the 2010 Bihar Legislative Assembly election, Devi contested from two seats: Raghopur and Sonpur, but lost both in an election where the Rashtriya Janata Dal faced defeat, winning only 22 seats.[11][12]
She contested from Saran in 2014 Lok Sabha election but lost to Rajiv Pratap Rudy of BJP.[13]
Devi was elected unopposed to the Legislative Council.[14]
Personal life and family
Rabri Devi married Lalu Prasad on 1 June 1973 at the age of 18 years,[4][6] in an arranged marriage. Together, they have seven daughters and two sons.[15][4][16][17] During her wedding, Lalu went on to demand an additional ₹5,000 as dowry from her father, which was eventually fulfilled.[6]
Positions held
Rabri Devi has been elected 3 times as MLA and 4 times as MLC.
| # | From | To | Position | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1997 | 2000 |
|
RJD |
| 2. | 2000 | 2005 |
|
RJD |
| 3. | Feb 2005 | Oct 2005 | RJD | |
| 4. | 2005 | 2010 |
|
RJD |
| 5. | 2012 | 2018 |
|
RJD |
| 6. | 2018 | 2024 |
|
RJD |
| 7. | 2024 | Present |
|
RJD |
References
- ^ a b c http://ceobihar.nic.in/election/GeneralElection2014/PC20/S04-Bihar-20--May-2014%20(%20GEN%20)-3-RABRI%20DEVI.PDF [bare URL PDF]
- ^ a b c https://cdn.s3waas.gov.in/s3285e19f20beded7d215102b49d5c09a0/uploads/2023/05/2023051796.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ "Smt. Rabri Devi". Rashtriya Janata Dal. RJD. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
- ^ a b c "Rabri Devi". Hindustan Times. 7 February 2005. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007.
- ^ Akbar, M. J. (19 April 2004). "M. J. Akbar: Laloo steals Congress seats in Bihar for sweet Rabri". Gulf News.
- ^ a b c d "rediff.com: The Rediff Interview/ Rabri Devi". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 14 November 2005. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
- ^ a b Mishra, Dipak (17 February 2017). "Proxy rule lessons from Bihar". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 27 March 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
- ^ a b Ahmed, Farz (11 August 1997). "Dragged from the kitchen to Bihar Assembly, Rabri Devi learns politics fast : Cover Story - India Today". India Today. Archived from the original on 27 March 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
- ^ "Profile: Laloo to the Prasad Yadav". BBC. 18 December 2006. Archived from the original on 22 February 2007. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
- ^ "rediff.com: The Rediff Interview/ Rabri Devi". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 24 August 2005. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
- ^ "RJD Mobbed: Rabri Devi Loses Both Her Seats". Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- ^ "Rabri loses in both seats". The Hindu. 24 November 2010.
- ^ Vaibhav, Aditya (17 May 2014). "Election results 2014: JD(U), RJD decimated in Bihar". The Times of India. TNN. Archived from the original on 20 May 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
- ^ "Rabri Devi were elected unopposed to the Legislative Council". Prabhat Khabar. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- ^ "Rabri Devi: Age, Biography, Education, Husband, Caste, Net Worth & More - Oneindia". OneIndia.
- ^ "Rabri vividly recalls how she had boarded a steamer at Pahleja Ghat in Sonepur (Chapra) to reach the Patna residence soon after her marriage on March 18, 1974 when curfew had been imposed all over the district". Archived from the original on 24 December 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
- ^ Thakur, Sankarshan (27 March 2014). "A sibling swing at succession". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 14 June 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ "No surprises in U.P., Bihar Council polls". The Hindu. 19 April 2018. Archived from the original on 25 November 2025. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- ^ "CM Nitish Kumar, RJD leader Rabri Devi among 11 elected unopposed to Bihar Legislative Council". The Hindu. 14 March 2024. Archived from the original on 25 November 2025. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
External links
- Living people
- Chief ministers of Bihar
- Rashtriya Janata Dal politicians
- Finance ministers of Bihar
- Women chief ministers of Indian states
- United Progressive Alliance candidates in the 2014 Indian general election
- Leaders of the opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly
- Women members of the Bihar Legislative Assembly
- Yadav family (Bihar)
- 20th-century Indian women politicians
- 20th-century Indian politicians
- 21st-century Indian women politicians
- Members of the Bihar Legislative Council
- Bihar MLAs 2000–2005
- 1956 births
- Bihar MLAs 2005–2010
- Leaders of the opposition in the Bihar Legislative Council
