Lalu prasad yadav ka jivan parichay: On 11 June 1948, a star was born in Phulwaria, a small village in Gopalganj district of Bihar, named Lalu Prasad Yadav. Today, in 2025, when he is moving towards his 77th birthday, his story is no less than a Bollywood film-Laughter, tears, victory, necklaces and lots of drama. Lalu is not just a leader, but a person who gave a new color to the politics of Bihar, became the voice of the poor and made it to everyone’s hearts with his fun style. But the controversies in his life also supported as much as his successes.
Village boy, dreams chase
Lalu was born in a poor farmer family. His father Kundan Rai and mother Marchia Devi used to work hard in the fields and feed the family. Lalu’s life was not easy among the six brothers. There was no sign of electricity and water in the village and the school for studies was miles away. But Lalu insisted on doing something. He started studying from the village school and then moved to Patna with his elder brother Mukund Rai. There he earned a Masters degree in Bachelor of Law and then Political Science before Patna University. During his studies, Lalu’s heart was Rama in sports like football and wrestling, but his real destination was politics.
Lalu entered the world of student politics at Patna University. In 1970, he became the General Secretary of Patna University Students Union and its president in 1973. His impeccable speaking style and desi style made him a favorite of the students. At that time, Jayaprakash Narayan’s movement was in full swing and Lalu took part in it. Lalu was also jailed during the Emergency of Indira Gandhi in 1975, but it further strengthened her courage. In 1977, at the age of just 29, he was elected Lok Sabha MP from Chhapra on a Janata Party ticket. Arriving at Parliament at such a young age was a great success in itself.
Story of becoming Chief Minister
Lalu’s real flight began in 1990, when he became the Chief Minister of Bihar. At that time, the politics of Bihar was under the dominance of upper castes, but Lalu changed the color of politics by uniting the Yadav, backward castes and Muslim community. After the 1989 Bhagalpur riots, the Muslim community was disillusioned with the Congress and Lalu joined him as his voice. His slogan “Clean Brown Hair” (Bhumihar, Rajput, Brahmin, Lala) created panic in the politics of Bihar.
Lalu’s first term (1990–1995) became a symbol of social justice. He strongly advocated backward classes for providing reservation in government jobs and education. His government launched many schemes for the poor and Dalits, such as the right to vote for the Mushar community and employment in panchayats. Lalu established the university in the name of Babasaheb Ambedkar and raised the demand for caste census. When LK Advani’s Rath Yatra reached Bihar in 1990, Lalu arrested him in Samastipur. The move brought him into discussion at the national level and won the trust of the Muslim community.
Lalu became the Chief Minister for the second time in 1995, but this time his path was not easy. His government was accused of corruption and misrule. Then came the fodder scam, which shook his politics. But Lalu did not give up. In 1997, when he had to leave the post of Chief Minister due to the fodder scam, he made his wife Rabri Devi the Chief Minister. This step was a joke for his opponents, but Lalu showed that his politics is not over yet.
Railway magician
In 2004, there was a new twist in Lalu’s life when he became a Railway Minister in the UPA government. At that time the Indian railway was submerged in losses. Experts said that it is impossible to save the railways. But Lalu shocked everyone. He not only pulled the railway out of deficit without increasing the fare, but also made a profit of Rs 90,000 crore. Their policies, such as selling tea in Kulhar, starting the poor chariot train and increasing the freight, gave the railway new life.
This success of Lalu caught the attention of the world. Large institutions like Harvard and Wharton began teaching their management style. IIM Ahmedabad then made a case study on their railway turnaround. Lalu gave lectures in these institutions in Hindi and his desi style also made foreign students crazy. Once he jokingly said, “We used to graze cows and buffaloes, the railway was still easy!” This brought his simplicity and attendance to the world.
Disputes of controversies
Lalu’s life is as colorful as it is full of controversies. The biggest controversy was the fodder scam, in which he was accused of rigging Rs 950 crore in the name of animal fodder. The scam was revealed in 1996 and Lalu was first sentenced in 2013. He was fined five years in jail and a fine of Rs 25 lakh. After this, he was punished in separate cases of fodder scam in 2017 and 2018. Due to these punishment, he had to lose the membership of Lok Sabha and prohibited contesting elections for 11 years.
In 2024, Lalu again came into the limelight when he was accused of taking land in exchange for jobs in the railway. In this land-for-Jobs scam, CBI and ED started an investigation against Lalu, his wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Yadav. In 2025, the Delhi High Court dismissed Lalu’s petition in the case, which increased his difficulties. In addition, his daughter Misa Bharti and other family members were also accused of disproportionate assets.
Lalu’s elder son Tej Pratap Yadav also raised a controversy in 2025, when he spoke about a 12 -year -old relationship on social media. Because of this, Lalu expelled him from the party and family. Tej Pratap’s ex -wife Aishwarya Rai called it an election drama, causing Lalu’s family to come into the discussion. Lalu’s brother -in -law Subhash Yadav also criticized the decision, which questioned the unity of RJD.
Magic of speeches
Lalu’s biggest strength is his style of speaking. Their speeches are such cocktails of laughter, satire and desiity that people become fascinated as soon as they listen. Whether it is Parliament or a rally, Lalu’s words make everyone laugh and forces them to think. Once he said in Parliament, “The road in our village was so bad that the cow also falls into the pit!” This one line described the condition of the roads of Bihar in a fun way.
In 2024, he criticized Amit Shah’s statement on Ambedkar, saying, “Shah Saheb should leave politics and rest, the limit of insanity!” His remarks created panic on social media. In 2025, Lalu taunted Nitish Kumar’s women’s dialogue journey and said, “Nitish ji is just going to see the spectacle!” This statement created a stir in the politics of Bihar. In Lalu’s speeches, desi idioms, folklore and jokes get mixed in such a way that people keep listening to hours.
Messiah of social justice
Lalu is called the Messiah of backward classes and Dalits in Bihar. He gave a new dimension to the politics of Bihar by bringing Yadav (14.26% population) and Muslim community on one platform. His policies gave Dalits a stake in panchayats and gave the Mushar community the right to vote. In 2024, he raised the demand for Muslim reservation, which again heated the politics.
Lalu’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is still one of the largest parties in Bihar. In the 2020 assembly elections, RJD became the largest party with 77 seats and his younger son Tejashwi Yadav performed brilliantly as the Leader of the Opposition. The basis of Lalu’s politics is social justice and he always says, “As long as there is breath, I will continue to fight the battle of the poor.”
Personal life and family
Lalu was married to Rabri Devi in 1973 and has seven daughters and two sons. She named her daughter Misa Bharti after the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) applied during the Emergency. Rabri Devi was the Chief Minister of Bihar from 1997 to 2005 and Tejashwi Yadav became the Deputy Chief Minister in 2017 and 2022. But tension in the family was also not less. Differences between Tej Pratap and Tejashwi often make headlines. In 2025, Tej Pratap’s separation from the family is its biggest example.
Lalu’s simplicity is also famous. They like to cook, listen to folk music and watch wrestling. Once he said, “I am not a leader, a village son. For me, the soil of Bihar is everything.” These things of them connect him with the public.
Lalu’s influence
Lalu’s popularity is not just limited to politics. There is no shortage of actors who copy in Bollywood. In 2004, a film called “Padmashree Lalu Prasad Yadav” was made, in which Lalu played a cameo role. In his name, Lalu animals are sold even diet, Lalu chocolate and even Lalu dolls. Famous filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt once said, “If Lalu had not been a leader, he would have been a Bollywood superstar.”
Lalu’s success is the secret of his attendance and association with the public. Once at the rally, someone asked him, “Lalu ji, how do you joke so much?” He replied laughing, “If you consider life as a joke, every difficult seems easy!” His talk still inspires people.
Lalu’s health is not good in 2025. They are less active after kidney transplant, but their politics is still alive. Tejashwi Yadav is carrying forward his legacy in the Bihar Legislative Assembly. RJD performed well in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the party is also strong contender in the Bihar election. Lalu recently said, “I will fight till the last breath to defeat BJP in Bihar.”
The story of Lalu Prasad Yadav is the story of the courage, hard work and courage of a village boy. He showed a new way to the politics of Bihar, raised the voice of the poor and shone the business of deficit like railways. Yes, controversies did not give up his chase, but Lalu faced difficulties every time. His speeches still make people laugh and think. On June 11, his birthday is not only a date, but a person who has given a desi color to politics. Lalu’s story teaches us that if there is a passion in the heart, then no floor is far away.
