Lalu Prasad Yadav
Founder of the Rashtriya Janata Dal; former Chief Minister of Bihar and Railway Minister
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- 78 yrs
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Lalu Prasad Yadav is the founder of the Rashtriya Janata Dal and one of the defining figures of Bihar politics. He was Chief Minister of Bihar from 1990 to 1997 and Union Railway Minister from 2004 to 2009. His career has also been shaped by his convictions in the fodder scam cases.
Biography
Student leader
Lalu Prasad was born into a poor family in Gopalganj and studied law and political science at Patna University, where he led the students’ union. He was a prominent figure in Jayaprakash Narayan’s movement and in 1977, aged 29, was elected to the Lok Sabha from Chhapra.
Chief Minister of Bihar
As Chief Minister from 1990 he gave political voice to backward castes, Dalits and Muslims, and in 1990 had L. K. Advani arrested in Samastipur to halt his Ram Rath Yatra. Named in the fodder scam involving fraudulent withdrawals from the animal husbandry department, he resigned in 1997, founded the Rashtriya Janata Dal and installed his wife Rabri Devi as Chief Minister.
Railway Minister and later years
As Railway Minister in the Manmohan Singh government he presided over a period of record railway profits through tariff rationalisation and higher wagon loading, which drew attention from business schools. From 2013 he was convicted in several fodder-scam cases and disqualified from contesting elections; he has spent periods in jail and on bail and underwent a kidney transplant in 2022. His son Tejashwi Yadav has served as Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar.
Personality
Lalu Prasad is known for his rustic humour, earthy Bhojpuri idiom and theatrical speeches, which made him one of India’s most recognisable politicians. Supporters credit him with giving dignity and political power to backward castes and Muslims in Bihar; critics associate his years in power with lawlessness and economic stagnation, sometimes called the “jungle raj”.
Family
He married Rabri Devi in 1973; they have nine children. His son Tejashwi Yadav leads the RJD in the Bihar assembly and served twice as Deputy Chief Minister; son Tej Pratap Yadav was a minister; daughter Misa Bharti is an MP. In 2022 his daughter Rohini Acharya donated a kidney to him.
Timeline
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1948
Born in Phulwaria, Gopalganj district, Bihar
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1973
Marries Rabri Devi
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1977
Elected MP for Chhapra
Aged 29.
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1990
Chief Minister of Bihar
Arrests L. K. Advani during his rath yatra.
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1990
Arrests L. K. Advani at Samastipur
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1997
Founds the Rashtriya Janata Dal
Rabri Devi becomes Chief Minister.
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2004
Union Railway Minister
Until 2009.
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2013
Convicted in the fodder scam
Disqualified from Parliament.
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2022
Kidney transplant
-
2022
Kidney transplant, donated by daughter Rohini Acharya
Did you know?
-
1
His Railway Ministry turnaround was studied at business schools.
-
2
His daughter donated a kidney to him in 2022.
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3
He is famous for his witty one-liners.
Gallery
Connections
Related people
-
Nitish Kumar
Politics & Leadership · Longest-serving Chief Minister of Bihar and president of the Janata Dal (United)
Fellow JP-movement leader, ally and rival
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L. K. Advani
Politics & Leadership · Former Deputy Prime Minister of India and co-founder of the Bharatiya Janata Party
Arrested his rath yatra in 1990
Frequently asked
Who is Lalu Prasad Yadav?
Lalu Prasad Yadav is the founder of the Rashtriya Janata Dal and one of the defining figures of Bihar politics. He was Chief Minister of Bihar from 1990 to 1997 and Union Railway Minister from 2004 to 2009. His career has also been shaped by his convictions in the fodder scam cases.
How old is Lalu Prasad Yadav?
Lalu Prasad Yadav is 78 years old, born on 11 June 1948 in Phulwaria, Gopalganj district, Bihar.
Where is Lalu Prasad Yadav from?
Lalu Prasad Yadav was born in Phulwaria, Gopalganj district, Bihar.
What is Lalu Prasad Yadav known for?
Lalu Prasad Yadav is best known for Social-justice politics in Bihar; the turnaround of Indian Railways (2004–09).
Who is Lalu Prasad Yadav married to?
Spouse: Rabri Devi (m. 1973; Chief Minister of Bihar 1997–2005).
References
- Lalu Prasad Yadav — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- Lalu Prasad Yadav — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- Lalu Prasad Yadav — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- Lalu Prasad Yadav — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- Official website. rjd.co.in. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
- Lalu Prasad Yadav (Q561812) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 26 October 2026.
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editors; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal
- First published 26 October 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Lalu Prasad Yadav.” TrackFame, last updated 26 October 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/lalu-prasad-yadav
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