Rabri Devi
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| Rabri Devi | |
|---|---|
| Chief Minister of Bihar | |
| In office 11-03-2000–06-03-2005 |
|
| Preceded by | Nitish Kumar |
| Succeeded by | President's rule |
| Chief Minister of Bihar | |
| In office 09-03-1999–02-03-2000 |
|
| Preceded by | President's rule |
| Succeeded by | Nitish Kumar |
| Chief Minister of Bihar | |
| In office 25-07-1997–11-02-1999 |
|
| Preceded by | Lalu Prasad Yadav |
| Succeeded by | President's rule |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Bihar |
| Political party | RJD |
| Spouse(s) | Lalu Prasad Yadav |
| Residence | Patna |
| Religion | Hindu |
| Website | www.rashtriyajanatadal.com |
Rabri Devi (born 1959) 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.
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[edit] Early life
Rabri Devi was born to Sib Prasad Chaudhary of Salarkalan, Line Bazar, Gopalganj.Rabri Devi has had schooling only from Gopalganj District.[1]
[edit] Political career
Rabri 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 infamous 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.[1] Her first term ended on 12 February 1999, when the state was briefly under president's rule. Her second term ran from 9 March 1999 to 3 March 2000.[2] Her third (and longest) term began on 11 March 2000, and ended in 2005[citation needed], when her party suffered great losses in state elections. In 2010 assembly election she lost from both of her constituencies(Raghopur and Sonpur).
The appointment of Rabri Devi as the Chief Minister of Bihar came under severe satirical criticism and stiff opposition, because she was nearly illiterate[3][4] and had little experience or interest in politics.[5]
It has been claimed that she cannot understand the official documents that are read to her[citation needed], and that the administration of Bihar was actually carried out by her husband[citation needed] Lalu Prasad Yadav, even during the periods when he was in jail, convicted and sentenced on corruption charges. She and her husband dispute these allegations.
[edit] Personal life
Rabri Devi married Lalu Prasad Yadav in 1973[1] at the age of 14.
| 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 |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "Rabri Devi". Hindustan Times. February 7, 2005. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070930184612/http://sify.com/news/internet/fullstory.php?id=13664560.
- ^ "Rabri Devi", The South Asian, March 2002
- ^ "'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
