Rabri Devi: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Indian politician}}

| birth_date      = {{Birth-date and age|1956}}<ref name="oneindia" />

'''Rabri Devi Yadav''' (born 1956) is an Indian politician who served for three times as the [[Chief Minister of Bihar]], notably the first and only woman till date to have held the office. She is a Member of the Legislative Council for [[Bihar Vidhan Parishad]]. She is married to the Indian politician [[Lalu Prasad Yadav]], former Chief Minister of Bihar and former [[Railway Minister of India]]. She is the [[Leader of Opposition]] in [[Bihar Legislative Council]].

Devi's appointment as the [[Chief Minister of Bihar]] was considered as one of the most unexpected and awkward decisions<ref name="proxy">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/1170219/jsp/frontpage/story_136545.jsp|date=2017-02-17|access-date=2017-03-27|work=[[The Telegraph (Kolkata)|The Telegraph]]|first=Dipak|last=Mishra|title=Proxy rule lessons from Bihar|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327165724/https://www.telegraphindia.com/1170219/jsp/frontpage/story_136545.jsp|archive-date=27 March 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> in the entire Indian political history because she was a traditional housewife and had no interest nor any prior experience in politics until then.<ref name="kitchen" /> 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.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/laloo-prasad-yadav-mocks-democracy-by-appointing-wife-rabri-devi-as-successor/1/276334.html|date =1997-08-04 |access-date=2017-02-17|first=Swapan |last=Dasgupta |work=[[India Today]]|title=Laloo Prasad Yadav mocks democracy by appointing wife Rabri Devi as successor : Cover Story - India Today}}</ref> It was alleged that he continued to act and administer as a ''de facto'' chief minister with his wife being a ceremonial head.<ref name="kitchen">{{cite news|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/dragged-from-the-kitchen-to-bihar-assembly-rabri-devi-learns-politics-fast/1/276449.html|date=1997-08-11|access-date=2017-01-31|work=[[India Today]]|first=Farz|last=Ahmed|title=Dragged from the kitchen to Bihar Assembly, Rabri Devi learns politics fast : Cover Story - India Today|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327080503/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/dragged-from-the-kitchen-to-bihar-assembly-rabri-devi-learns-politics-fast/1/276449.html|archive-date=27 March 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="proxy" />

She became the first woman [[Chief Minister of Bihar]] on 25 July 1997 after her husband Lalu Prasad Yadav had to resign as the Chief Minister following the arrest warrant issued against him in corruption charges; in an unprecedented move, he appointed Rabri Devi as the new Bihar Chief Minister to hold onto power.<ref name="sify-2005-02-07">{{cite news|title=Rabri Devi|url=http://sify.com/news/internet/fullstory.php?id=13664560|newspaper=Hindustan Times|date=7 February 2005|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930184612/http://sify.com/news/internet/fullstory.php?id=13664560|archive-date=30 September 2007}}</ref> She was elected thrice to Bihar Vidhan Sabha from Raghopur seat. In [[2010 Bihar Legislative Assembly election]], Rabri Devi contested from two seats: [[Raghopur, Vaishali (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Raghopur]] and [[Sonpur (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Sonpur]] assembly seats, but lost both while [[Rashtriya Janata Dal]] faced massive defeat, winning only 22 seats.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/rjd-mobbed-rabri-devi-loses-both-her-seats/702322|title=RJD Mobbed: Rabri Devi Loses Both Her Seats|access-date=10 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141449/https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/rjd-mobbed-rabri-devi-loses-both-her-seats/702322|archive-date=12 June 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Rabri-loses-in-both-seats/article15714578.ece|title=Rabri loses in both seats}}</ref>

She contested from [[Saran (Lok Sabha constituency)|Saran constituency]] in [[2014 Indian general election|2014 Loksabha election]] but lost to [[Rajiv Pratap Rudy]] of BJP.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://m.timesofindia.com/home/lok-sabha-elections-2014/news/Election-results-2014-JDU-RJD-decimated-in-Bihar/articleshow/35233557.cms|date=2014-05-17|access-date=2014-05-30|work=The Times of India|agency=TNN|first=Aditya|last=Vaibhav|title=Election results 2014: JD(U), RJD decimated in Bihar|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531090847/http://m.timesofindia.com/home/lok-sabha-elections-2014/news/Election-results-2014-JDU-RJD-decimated-in-Bihar/articleshow/35233557.cms|archive-date=31 May 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

The appointment of Rabri Devi as the Chief Minister of Bihar came under severe satirical criticism and stiff opposition, because she was [[Yokel|illiterate]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2000/feb/22rabri.htm|title=rediff.com: The Rediff Interview/ Rabri Devi|publisher=Rediff.com|access-date=2016-03-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051114141826/http://www.rediff.com/news/2000/feb/22rabri.htm|archive-date=14 November 2005|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3514292.stm|title=Profile: Laloo to the Prasad Yadav|date=2006-12-18|publisher=BBC|access-date=2016-03-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070222090325/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3514292.stm|archive-date=22 February 2007|url-status=live}}</ref> and had little experience or interest in politics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2000/feb/23rabri.htm|title=rediff.com: The Rediff Interview/ Rabri Devi|publisher=Rediff.com|access-date=2016-03-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050824081347/http://www.rediff.com/news/2000/feb/23rabri.htm|archive-date=24 August 2005|url-status=live}}</ref>

Rabri Devi was born in 1956 in [[Gopalganj, Bihar|Gopalganj]], Bihar.<ref name="oneindia">{{cite web |title=Rabri Devi: Age, Biography, Education, Husband, Caste, Net Worth & More - Oneindia |url=https://www.oneindia.com/politicians/rabri-devi-32893.html |website=www.oneindia.com |publisher=OneIndia |language=en}}</ref> She is named after an [[Rabri|Indian sweet]] as per a custom in her family. Her sisters are similarly named [[Jalebi]], [[Rasgulla]] and [[Paan]].<ref name="gulfnews">{{cite news |last1=Akbar |first1=M. J. |title=M. J. Akbar: Laloo steals Congress seats in Bihar for sweet Rabri |url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/m-j-akbar-laloo-steals-congress-seats-in-bihar-for-sweet-rabri-1.319862 |access-date=14 December 2020 |work=gulfnews.com |language=en}}</ref> Rabri Devi married [[Lalu Prasad Yadav]] in 1973<ref name="sify-2005-02-07"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-lalu-paid-off-a-debt-to-his-wife-handsomely-1093659|title=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|access-date=12 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171224215207/http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-lalu-paid-off-a-debt-to-his-wife-handsomely-1093659|archive-date=24 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> at the age of 17 and has nine children, seven girls and two boys.<ref>{{Cite news|url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140327/jsp/frontpage/story_18124041.jsp|title = A sibling swing at succession|last = Thakur|first = Sankarshan|date = 27 March 2014|journal = The Telegraph|access-date = 2015-01-30|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140614091750/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140327/jsp/frontpage/story_18124041.jsp|archive-date = 14 June 2014|url-status = live}}</ref> Her younger son [[Tejashwi Yadav]] served as the 4th [[Deputy Chief Minister]] of Bihar and at 26 years, was the youngest to hold the office.