Rabri Devi[http://ceobihar.nic.in/election/GeneralElection2014/PC20/S04-Bihar-20--May-2014%20(%20GEN%20)-3-RABRI%20DEVI.PDF ]
(Devanagri: राबड़ी देवी,
She is married to Indian politician Lalu Prasad, former chief minister of Bihar (1990–1997). Yadav previously served as a member of Bihar Legislative Assembly (MLA) and she formerly served as the leader of the opposition in Bihar Legislative Assembly.
Early life and education
Rabri was born in 1955
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.
Her parents are Sib Prasad Chaudhary
and Maharjia Devi. She is named after an
Rabri as per a custom in her family. Her 3 sisters are similarly named
Jalebi,
Rasgulla and
Paan.
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 and as a result, none of her sisters got any formal education.
Political career
Rabri Devi became the first female Chief Minister of Bihar on 25 July 1997, after her husband, Lalu Prasad, was forced to resign following the arrest warrant issued against him in corruption charges relating to the
Fodder Scam. She went on to rule the state till 2005. She was also the last chief minister of undivided Bihar.
Devi was elected thrice to Bihar Vidhan Sabha from Raghopur seat. In 2010 Bihar Legislative Assembly election, Devi contested from two seats: Raghopur and Sonpur assembly seats, but lost both in an election where the Rashtriya Janata Dal faced defeat, winning only 22 seats.
She contested from Saran in 2014 Lok Sabha election but lost to Rajiv Pratap Rudy of BJP.
Rabri Devi was elected unopposed to the Legislative Council.
Criticism
Rabri Devi's appointment as the chief minister of Bihar is considered one of the most unexpected and awkward decisions
in Indian political history, as she was a traditional housewife and had no interest nor any prior experience in politics.
She came under severe satirical criticism and stiff opposition, because of her
Literacy and inexperience.
Personal life and family
Rabri Devi married Lalu Prasad on 1 June 1973 at the age of 14 years,
in a
child marriage. Together, they have seven daughters and two sons.
During her wedding, Lalu went on to demand an additional ₹5,000 as dowry from her father, which was eventually fulfilled.
Positions held
Rabri Devi has been elected 3 times as MLA and 4 times as MLC.
|
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MLC (1st term) in Bihar Legislative Council
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Chief Minister (1st & 2nd term) in Government of Bihar
| RJD
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MLA (1st term) from Raghopur (by-poll)
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Chief Minister (3rd term) in Government of Bihar
| RJD
|
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MLA (2nd term) from Raghopur
| RJD
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MLA (3rd term) from Raghopur
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Leader of Opposition in Bihar Legislative Assembly (1st term)
| RJD
|
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MLC (2nd term) in Bihar Legislative Council
| RJD
|
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MLC (3rd term) in Bihar Legislative Council
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Leader of Opposition in Bihar Legislative Council (1st & 2nd term)
| RJD
|
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MLC (4th term) in Bihar Legislative Council
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Leader of Opposition in Bihar Legislative Council (3rd term)
| RJD
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External links
