Lalu Prasad Yadav

Lalu Prasad Yadav was born on June 11, 1948, in Phulwaria, near Gopalgan to Kundan Rai and Marachhiya Devi is a prominent Indian politician and government official. His distinct flair and fashion sense set him apart. Graduating from Patna University with bachelor’s and law degrees, Yadav's political journey commenced during his university years, where he emerged as a student leader, influenced by the socialist activist Jaya Prakash Narayan.

During the early and mid-1970s, Yadav actively participated in protests led by Narayan against the policies of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. His commitment to social activism led to his arrest during the state of emergency declared by Gandhi in 1975, where he remained detained until 1977.

Following his release, Yadav entered national politics by winning a seat in the Lok Sabha as a representative of the newly formed Janata Party, opposing Gandhi’s rule that too, at the age of only 29 years, becoming one of its youngest members. In 1980, he contested the Bihar state assembly elections, securing victory over the Indian National Congress candidate, and was re-elected in 1985. Serving as the leader of the opposition in the assembly for most of 1989, he won a second term in the Lok Sabha later that year as a member of the Janata Dal.

Lalu Yadav's political ideology, centred around social justice and mobilisation of lower-caste Hindus and the minority Muslim population, garnered significant electoral support. This support propelled him to become Bihar’s chief minister in 1990. He retained his assembly seat in the 1995 elections and embarked on his second term as chief minister.

In 1996, Lalu Yadav's political trajectory encountered a significant obstacle when allegations surfaced implicating him and several other prominent bureaucrats and politicians from Bihar in a corruption scandal. This scandal, famously known as the fodder scam, revolved around the misappropriation of substantial sums of state funds earmarked for the purchase of animal feed. The scandal, involving embezzlement amounting to tens of millions of dollars, tarnished the reputations of those involved and shook the political landscape of Bihar.

As the allegations gained traction, Lalu Yadav's position as Chief Minister of Bihar became increasingly untenable. Pressure mounted on him to step down from his role, ultimately leading to his resignation in July 1997. However, rather than completely disengaging from the political arena, Yadav maneuvered to retain his influence by installing his wife, Rabri Devi, as his successor. This move was widely perceived as a strategic maneuver to ensure his continued control over the state administration despite officially relinquishing his chief ministerial position.

After stepping down as chief minister, he broke with the JD and formed the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), of which he became the president. Under Lalu Yadav's leadership, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has emerged as a unifying force, encompassing individuals from diverse backgrounds across villages and urban areas. Throughout his political career, Yadav has dedicated himself to elevating the marginalized and neglected segments of society. He has endeavoured to transform the RJD into a platform that amplifies the voices of the downtrodden.

In 1998, he secured another term in the Lok Sabha, and in 2002, he successfully attained a position in the Rajya Sabha, the upper chamber of the parliament. Meanwhile, he contested and won a seat in the Bihar assembly in 2000. Notably, Lalu Yadav holds the distinction of being the only individual to have been a member of all four houses of the Indian democratic system—Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, Vidhan Sabha, and Vidhan Parishad.

He also served as the Railway Minister of India from 2004 to 2009. His tenure as Railway Minister is renowned for overseeing the financial turnaround of the Indian Railways, which was facing severe financial challenges upon his appointment. When Lalu Prasad assumed office, the Indian Railways was grappling with bankruptcy, and experts had bleak predictions for its financial future.

Lalu Prasad's leadership was instrumental in transforming the Indian Railways' financial health. Under his guidance, the organization shifted from incurring losses to achieving a surplus of nearly Rs 90,000 crores. This remarkable feat garnered attention both domestically and internationally, leading to Lalu Prasad being invited to share his insights and experiences at various management institutes in India and abroad. He earned the moniker of "Management Guru" for his pivotal role in orchestrating the revival of the Indian Railways.

One of Lalu Yadav's innovative initiatives during his tenure was the establishment of "Charbaha Vidyalaya," schools aimed at educating animal grazers. This initiative showcased his forward-thinking approach and commitment to addressing societal needs beyond conventional realms.

During the Bihar assembly elections of 2005, the RJD managed to secure merely 54 out of 243 seats, resulting in the coalition government relinquishing power. This trend persisted in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, where the party secured only four out of 44 contested seats. Furthermore, Lalu Yadav, personally, faced defeat in one of the two constituencies he contested. Subsequently, in the following year's state assembly elections, the RJD could only secure 22 seats. These consecutive setbacks significantly diminished Yadav's political influence in New Delhi.

In 2013, Lalu Yadav was sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment and a 25 lakh fine for his involvement in the first Fodder Scam by CBI court. He was convicted in a third fodder scam also. In the second fodder scam, he was sentenced to 3.5 years of imprisonment. He was found guilty in the third fodder scam case. CBI Court convicted him in the fourth fodder scam case which is related to swindling of Rs.3.13 crore from the Dumka treasury. In this case, a total of Rs 60 lakh fine was imposed on Lalu Yadav along with 14 years of imprisonment.

Apart from political life, he has an interest in football, wrestling, cricket, kabaddi, badminton and other indoor games. He was President of the Bihar Cricket Association in 2001. He is associated with sports clubs in Chapra and Patna.