Rabri Devi
Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Council
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
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Rabri Devi | |
|---|---|
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) |
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]
Rabri Devi is an Indian politician and former Chief Minister of Bihar, known for becoming the first woman to hold the office in the state. Her political journey is often described as unique, as she rose from being a homemaker to leading one of India’s largest states.
She assumed office as Chief Minister on 25 July 1997, marking a historic moment in Bihar’s political history. Despite having no prior political experience, she gradually adapted to administrative responsibilities and governance. Over time, she developed her political understanding and played an active role in decision-making and public affairs.
Rabri Devi later led her party to electoral success in the 2000 Bihar Assembly elections and completed a full term as Chief Minister, reflecting her growing political maturity and leadership. She is also known for maintaining a simple and grounded public image while continuing to remain active in Bihar politics as a senior leader. [15]
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.[16][4][17][18] 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 |