Rabri Devi
| Rabri Devi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 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 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gopalganj, Bihar |
| Political party | RJD and Janata Parivar group |
| Spouse(s) | Lalu Prasad Yadav |
| Residence | Patna |
| Religion | Hindu |
Rabri Devi (born 1959) in Gopalgang , Bihar, India who served three terms as the Chief Minister, of Bihar, India, as a member of the Rashtriya Janata Dal political party, between 1997 and 2005. She is the wife of the Indian politician Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Chief Minister of Bihar and former Railway Minister of India, who was later convicted and jailed for embezzlement.[1] Devi has subsequently been a Member of the Legislative Council for Bihar Vidhan Parishad. Speculation is rife that Rabri is certain to ascend into the Rajya Sabha either from Uttar Pradesh or Bihar in 2016. [2]
Political career
Devi's appointment as the Chief Minister of Bihar was considered as one of the most unexpected and awkward decisions of the entire Indian political history because she was a traditional housewife and had no interest nor any prior experience in politics until then. The move fitted well with the needs of the government in power at the time as Lalu Prasad Yadav had to quit as the Chief Minister of Bihar after the Fodder scam was revealed, but he was alleged to have been controlling the affairs by giving his wife the coveted post of the head of the state government. It was alleged that he continued to act and administer as a de facto chief minister with his wife being a ceremonial head. She became the first woman Chief Minister of Bihar on 25 July 1997.[3]
She contested from Saran constituency in 2014 Loksabha election but lost.[4]
Criticism
The appointment of Rabri Devi as the Chief Minister of Bihar came under severe satirical criticism and stiff opposition, because she was illiterate[5][6] and had little experience or interest in politics.[7]
Personal life
Rabri Devi married Lalu Prasad Yadav in 1973[3] at the age of 14 and has nine children, seven girls and two boys.[8]
References
- ↑ India corruption: Laloo Prasad Yadav jailed for five years - BBC News, 3 Oct 2013
- ↑ http://www.asianage.com/india/rabri-s-rajya-sabha-seat-certain-2016-085. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Rabri Devi". Hindustan Times. 7 February 2005. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007.
- ↑ Vaibhav, Aditya (2014-05-17). "Election results 2014: JD(U), RJD decimated in Bihar". The Times of India. TNN. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
- ↑ "'I am not subordinate to Lalooji'", Rediff, February 22, 2000
- ↑ "Profile: Laloo Prasad Yadav", BBC
- ↑ "'My name will be there on the pages of history'", Rediff, February 23, 2000
- ↑ Thakur, Sankarshan (March 27, 2014). "A sibling swing at succession". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2015-01-30.
| Preceded by Lalu Prasad Yadav |
Chief Minister of Bihar 1997—1999 |
Succeeded by President's rule |
| Preceded by President's rule |
Chief Minister of Bihar 1999—2000 |
Succeeded by Nitish Kumar |
| Preceded by Nitish Kumar |
Chief Minister of Bihar 2000—2005 |
Succeeded by President's rule |
|