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Rabri Devi Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 1, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth1 January 1955

Age68 Years

BirthplaceSelar Kalan village, Gopalganj, Bihar

ProfessionPolitician

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseLalu Prasad Yadav

FamilyNine children (two sons and seven daughters)

Rabri Devi Biography

Rabri Devi is an Indian politician from Bihar who served three separate terms as the state’s chief minister between 1997 and 2005. Born in Selar Kalan, Gop

Early life and background

Rabri Devi was born on 1 January 1955 in Selar Kalan village in Gopalganj district, Bihar. She grew up in a household that owned land and a ration shop. Her formal schooling ended after the fifth standard because her village did not have a secondary school and long distances discouraged sending girls to continue their education. She attended a local school two to three miles from home.

At age 14 she married Lalu Prasad Yadav in 1973. Her account of the early years of their marriage describes modest circumstances in her husband’s family at the time; she says her own family provided support, including a gift of land from her father. The couple eventually settled in Patna in a small quarter at the Patna Veterinary College where they lived with extended family.

Career

Rabri Devi entered public life as a member of a political family through her marriage to Lalu Prasad Yadav, and she rose to statewide prominence in the late 1990s. She was sworn in as chief minister of Bihar for the first time on 25 July 1997. She then served two more separate terms: a second term beginning on 9 March 1999 and a third that ran from 11 March 2000 until 6 March 2005.

After her tenure as chief minister, she continued an active role in Bihar politics. On 20 November 2005 she became the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly, a post she held until 23 December 2010. Rabri Devi contested assembly elections from the Raghopur seat multiple times and won it on three occasions. In the 2010 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections she contested from both Raghopur and Sonpur but lost both seats.

She also contested national elections: in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls she stood from the Saran constituency but was defeated by BJP candidate Rajiv Pratap Rudy. Later, on 12 May 2018 she became the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Council and served until 23 June 2020.

Public profile

Rabri Devi is known as the first woman chief minister of Bihar. Her political affiliation over many years was with the Rashtriya Janata Dal. In public presentations she has been described with a height of approximately 1.58 m (5 ft 2 in) and black hair and eyes.

Her family has been a prominent feature of her public identity. She and Lalu Prasad Yadav are parents to nine children—two sons and seven daughters—several of whom are active in politics. Her sons include Tej Pratap Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, and one of her daughters is Misa Bharti. Rabri Devi’s parents were Sib Prasad Chaudhary and Jagmato Devi. She has three brothers and three sisters.

Controversies and legal matters

Over the years Rabri Devi’s name has appeared in several high-profile legal and investigative matters alongside family members. She was associated with proceedings in the fodder scam around 2000; she and her husband were chargesheeted and later acquitted by a special CBI court in December 2006. Subsequent investigations and actions have included cases filed by the Enforcement Directorate and summonses and charges related to an alleged land-for-jobs matter; courts have at times granted interim or personal bail in connection with those cases. She was also named in an FIR lodged by a family member in 2019 and has attracted public controversy for remarks reported in the media.

Style and assets

Affidavit disclosures and public reporting list various movable and immovable assets attributed to Rabri Devi as of filings made in recent years. These include bank balances, bonds and shares, motor vehicles (including a Mercedes), jewelry, agricultural and non-agricultural land parcels, residential apartments, and commercial property. Details in those filings also enumerate livestock and firearms reported at the time of the affidavit.

Latest updates

Legal developments involving Rabri Devi and members of her family continued into the 2020s, including chargesheets and court actions lodged or progressed in Delhi courts, and interim bail orders granted in connection with some matters. She remained a recognizable figure in Bihar politics through roles as party leader and opposition leader at different times.

Despite limited formal schooling, Rabri Devi’s trajectory from village life to occupying the highest constitutional office in the state marks her as a distinctive and widely recognized political figure in Bihar.
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Recent Work

Leader of Opposition, Bihar Legislative Council

Served as Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Council from 12 May 2018 to 23 June 2020.

2018-2020
Leader of Opposition, Bihar Legislative Assembly

Served as Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly from 20 November 2005 to 23 December 2010.

2005-2010
Chief Minister of Bihar (three terms)

Served as Chief Minister of Bihar first sworn in on 25 July 1997 with subsequent terms beginning 9 March 1999 and 11 March 2000; final term ended 6 March 2005.

1997-2005
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Career Highlights

  1. First woman Chief Minister of Bihar
  2. Served three terms as Chief Minister (1997–2005)
  3. Served as Leader of the Opposition in Bihar Legislative Assembly (2005–2010) and Bihar Legislative Council (2018–2020)
  4. Won the Raghopur assembly seat three times
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Rabri Devi born?

1 January 1955

What is Rabri Devi known for?

Politician

What is Rabri Devi’s marital status?

Married

Who is Rabri Devi married to?

Lalu Prasad Yadav