Lalu Prasad Yadav: A Man Stands Unparalleled for What He Achieved and Lost

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Lalu Prasad Yadav is unmatched in contemporary Indian political history for both his accomplishments and his setbacks over the past thirty years. RJD leader and former chief minister of Bihar has witnessed almost everything.

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When Lalu Yadav was a college student, he made his first move toward politics.

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He was elected President of the Patna University Students' Union (PUSU) in 1970.

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He was elected to the 9th Lok Sabha on a Janata Party ticket at the age of just 29, making him one of the youngest members of the parliament. He defeated the INC (Indian National Congress) candidate in the 1980 Bihar State Assembly elections. He was re-elected to the position in 1985.

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As the leader of the lower castes and other minorities, he had established himself. Yadav gained popularity as a leader in Bihar with the backing of Muslim minorities and lower Hindu castes.

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Lalu Prasad served as Bihar's chief minister twice, first for five years from March 10, 1990, to April 3, 1995. He was elected as Bihar's chief minister a second time, serving a three-year term from April 4, 1995, to July 25, 1997.

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The Fodder Scam caused a leadership rebellion in the Janata Dal from 1996 onward. When Yadav was compelled to resign in July 1997, his wife, Rabri Devi, assumed the role of chief minister. After breaking his association with the Janta Dal, Yadav founded the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and rose to the position of president. He was elected to the Lok Sabha again in 1998.

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Lalu was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2002 and remained there until 2004. Rabri Devi, his wife, served as Bihar's chief minister from RJD till 2005.

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After being re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 2004, Yadav was appointed Union Minister of Railways in the United Progressive Alliance government. He remained in that role until 2009.

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In the two Bihar Assembly elections in 2005, the JD(U)-BJP alliance won more seats than the RJD, which only managed to secure 54. As a result, Nitish Kumar was elected. RJD only won four of the forty-four seats it contested for in the 2009 elections. In the 2010 Bihar assembly elections, RJD was only able to secure 22 seats. Lalu Prasad Yadav attempted to relaunch the party, but his conviction in the fodder scandal suffered a serious blow. In the 2015 Bihar Legislative Assembly Election, RJD made a significant comeback. Although RJD and JD(U) had a complete majority to create the state's administration, their cooperation was short-lived. Nitish Kumar left the alliance and teamed up with the BJP.

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In 2017, Yadav was found guilty of the second fodder scam. Between 1991 and 1994, when Yadav was the chief minister and head of the finance department, the illegal withdrawals from the Deoghar Treasury totaled about Rs 89 lakh. A fine of Rs. 10 lakh was imposed on him.

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