Lalu Prasad Yadav facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lalu Prasad
Lalu as Union Minister of Railways, addressing in New Delhi on 12 September 2004
30th Union Minister of Railways
In office 24 May 2004 – 23 May 2009
Prime Minister	Manmohan Singh
Preceded by	Nitish Kumar
Succeeded by	Mamata Banerjee
President of the Rashtriya Janata Dal
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 July 1997
Preceded by	office established
20th Chief Minister of Bihar
In office 4 April 1995 – 25 July 1997
Governor	A. R. Kidwai
Preceded by	President's rule
Succeeded by	Rabri Devi
In office 10 March 1990 – 28 March 1995
Governor	Mohammad Yunus Saleem
Preceded by	Jagannath Mishra
Succeeded by	President's rule
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 22 May 2009 – 3 October 2013
Preceded by	constituency established
Succeeded by	Rajiv Pratap Rudy
Constituency	Saran, Bihar
In office 24 May 2004 – 22 May 2009
Preceded by	Rajiv Pratap Rudy
Succeeded by	constituency abolished
Constituency	Chhapra, Bihar
In office 10 March 1998 – 26 April 1999
Preceded by	Sharad Yadav
Succeeded by	Sharad Yadav
Constituency	Madhepura
In office 2 December 1989 – 10 March 1990
Preceded by	Rambahadur Singh
Succeeded by	Lal Babu Rai
Constituency	Chhapra, Bihar
In office 23 March 1977 – 22 August 1979
Preceded by	Ramshekhar Prasad Singh
Succeeded by	Satya Deo Singh
Constituency	Chhapra, Bihar
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
In office 10 April 2002 – 13 May 2004
Constituency	Bihar
12th Leader of the Opposition Bihar Legislative Assembly
In office 18 March 1989 – 7 December 1989
Preceded by	Karpoori Thakur
Succeeded by	Anup Lal Yadav
Member of Bihar Legislative Assembly
In office 3 March 2000 – 10 April 2002
Preceded by	Vijay Singh Yadav
Succeeded by	Rama Nand Yadav
Constituency	Danapur
In office 4 April 1995 – 10 March 1998
Preceded by	Uday Narayan Rai
Succeeded by	Rajgir Choudhary
Constituency	Raghopur
In office 8 June 1980 – 2 December 1989
Preceded by	Ram Sundar Das
Succeeded by	Raj Kumar Roy
Constituency	Sonpur
Member of Bihar Legislative Council
In office 7 May 1990 – 4 April 1995
Constituency	elected by Legislative assembly member's
Personal details
Born	(1948-06-11) 11 June 1948 (age 77) Phulwariya, Bihar, India
Political party	Rashtriya Janata Dal
Other political affiliations	Janata Dal
Spouse	Rabri Devi ​ (m. 1973)​
Relations	Tej Pratap Singh Yadav (son-in-law) Chiranjeev Rao (son-in-law) Sadhu Yadav (brother-in-law) Subhash Prasad Yadav (brother-in-law)
Children	9 (including Tejashwi Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav and Misa Bharti)
Parents	Kundan Rai (father) Marachhiya Devi (mother)
Alma mater	Patna University (B.A.,LLB)

Lalu Prasad (born 11 June 1948) is an important Indian politician. He is the president of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) political party. He has held many big jobs in the government.

Lalu Prasad was the Chief Minister of Bihar from 1990 to 1997. He also served as the Railway Minister of India from 2004 to 2009. He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

He started his political journey as a student leader at Patna University. In 1977, he became one of the youngest members elected to the Lok Sabha. His party, the RJD, has been a major force in Bihar politics for many years.

Early Life and Education

Lalu Prasad was born in Phulwariya village in Gopalganj district of Bihar. He was the second of six sons. He went to a local middle school. Later, he moved to Patna with his older brother.

He studied at Patna University, earning degrees in law and political science. He worked as a clerk at Bihar Veterinary College in Patna. Lalu Prasad comes from the Yadav farming community.

Personal Life and Family

Lalu Prasad married Rabri Devi in 1973. They have seven daughters and two sons. His wife, Rabri Devi, also became the Chief Minister of Bihar later on.

His children are:

• Misha Bharti
• Rohini Acharya
• Chanda Singh
• Ragini Yadav
• Hema Yadav
• Anushka Rao (Dhannu)
• Tej Pratap Yadav
• RajLaxmi Singh Yadav
• Tejashwi Yadav

Political Career

Starting in Politics (1970–1990)

Lalu Prasad Yadav speaking at a youth meeting in Nayagaon, Sonpur in 1988

Lalu Prasad became active in student politics in 1970. He was the general secretary of the Patna University Students' Union. In 1973, he became its president. He joined the Jai Prakash Narayan's Bihar Movement in 1974.

In 1977, at 29, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Chapra. This made him one of the youngest MPs. He later won the Bihar Legislative Assembly election in 1980 and 1985. In 1989, he became the leader of the opposition in the Bihar assembly.

Chief Minister of Bihar (1990–1997)

In 1990, Lalu Prasad became the Chief Minister of Bihar. He was chosen after an internal vote among the Janata Dal party members. One notable event was his arrest of L. K. Advani in 1990 during a political journey.

His government was praised by the World Bank for its economic work in the 1990s. In 1993, he supported bringing back English as a language in school. This was different from other leaders at the time.

Forming RJD and National Politics (1997–2000)

RJD flag

In 1997, Lalu Prasad started his own political party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). This happened after some disagreements within his old party, Janata Dal. He won a seat in the Lok Sabha in 1998.

Rabri Devi as Chief Minister (2000–2005)

In 2000, the RJD formed the government in Bihar again. Lalu Prasad's wife, Rabri Devi, became the Chief Minister. The RJD remained in power in Bihar until 2005, except for a short period. In 2002, Lalu was elected to the Rajya Sabha.

Union Minister of Railways (2004–2009)

Lalu Prasad Yadav takes charge as Railways Minister in New Delhi on May 24, 2004

In 2004, Lalu Prasad won the general election from two places, Chhapra and Madhepura. He then became the Railway Minister in the central government. He later gave up the Madhepura seat.

As Railway Minister, he focused on increasing railway income without raising passenger fares. He introduced kulhars (earthen cups) for tea instead of plastic cups. This helped create jobs in rural areas. He also planned to introduce buttermilk and khādī (hand-spun cloth).

The Indian Railways was losing money before he took over. Under his leadership, it showed a large profit. Business schools around the world studied his methods. He even gave lectures at top universities like Harvard and Wharton.

However, later reports questioned if the profits were shown differently in financial statements. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) found that the "surplus" included funds that were not part of the usual "net surplus" figures.

Yadav with Ram Vilas Paswan and Amar Singh at a rally in Mumbai during the 2009 elections

Later Political Years (2005–Present)

In the 2005 Bihar Assembly elections, his party did not win enough seats to form a government. Nitish Kumar's coalition came to power. In 2010, RJD's seats were further reduced.

In 2015, RJD became the largest party in the Bihar Assembly elections. They formed a government with Nitish Kumar's party. This was seen as a big comeback for Lalu Prasad. However, this alliance ended in 2017.

In 2020, RJD remained the largest party in Bihar. In 2022, they again formed a government with JD(U), but this alliance also ended.

Lalu Prasad has faced legal issues related to financial matters. He was disqualified from being an MP in 2013 due to a conviction. He was granted bail in 2021.

What He Believed In

Lalu Prasad presenting a cheque of Rs.30 lakhs to Akhil Kumar at a Kabaddi Championship in 2008.

Lalu Prasad was very popular among people from backward castes and Dalits. He was known for giving them a sense of "honour" and allowing them to vote freely. He launched policies like setting up Charvaha schools for children of poor families.

He also focused on hiring people from backward castes into government jobs. He wanted to make sure that these groups had a stronger voice and presence in society and government. He often spoke in a way that connected with common people, calling himself the "son of a poor herder."

Lalu Prasad's rallies were very popular. People would come from rural areas, sometimes carrying lathis (sticks), which symbolized their strength and rural background. He used these rallies to connect with his supporters and promote his political ideas.

He also tried to give important positions to people from humble backgrounds. For example, a Dalit woman from a washerman family was elected to the Bihar Legislative Council in 2022, thanks to his party. This showed his commitment to empowering people from all walks of life.

His Political Roles

Lalu Prasad has been elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) four times and a Member of Parliament (MP) five times.

Note: In 2013, Lalu Prasad was disqualified from being an MP after being found guilty in a legal case. He was also barred from running in elections for six years.

Writings

Lalu Prasad has written his autobiography. It is called Gopalganj to Raisina Road.

Filmography

• Padmashree Laloo Prasad Yadav (Bollywood), as himself (special appearance)
• Mahua (Bhojiwood)
• Gudri Ke Lal (Bhojiwood)

Images for kids

• The Union Minister for Railways, Shri Lalu Prasad interacting with a group of MBA students from University of Texas and University of Virginia (USA) on the topic “ Turn Around of Indian Railways,” in New Delhi on March 16, 2007.jpg

  Lalu Prasad interacting with MBA students from US universities in 2007.

• 

  Lalu Prasad inspecting a Guard of Honour in 2006.

• 

  Lalu Prasad addressing in Delhi in 2008.

See also

• List of politicians from Bihar
• History of Backward Caste movement in Bihar