Lalu Ke Dhol

Across his years in the Lok Sabha and as Railway Minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav earned a reputation as one of Indian Parliament’s wittiest speakers. His one-liners and rustic humour, delivered in a mix of Hindi and broken English, regularly drew laughter from across the aisle, including from political rivals, and made him one of the […]

In the 2015 Bihar Assembly elections, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD joined the “Mahagathbandhan” (Grand Alliance) with Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) and the Congress to take on the BJP-led NDA. Though barred from contesting himself, Lalu campaigned extensively across the state, and the alliance won a decisive majority, with his son Tejashwi Yadav becoming Deputy Chief Minister […]

Lalu Prasad Yadav’s political style was built on folksy Bihari idiom and rustic humour that connected instantly with rural voters. His best-known line, “Jab tak rahega samosa mein aaloo, tab tak rahega Bihar mein Lalu” (as long as there is potato in the samosa, there will be Lalu in Bihar), became a rallying cry through […]

As Union Minister for Railways from 2004 to 2009, Lalu Prasad Yadav presided over a period in which the perennially loss-making Indian Railways reported large operating surpluses. His tenure also saw the introduction of the Garib Rath trains, bringing air-conditioned travel within reach of general-class passengers, and his unconventional management style drew interest from business […]

In 1990, Lalu Prasad Yadav was among the most vocal state leaders pressing the V.P. Singh government at the centre to implement the Mandal Commission’s recommendations for OBC reservations in government jobs and education. The episode cemented his identity as a champion of backward-caste empowerment and reshaped the social coalition underpinning Bihar politics for decades.

As Chief Minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav ordered the arrest of senior BJP leader L.K. Advani in Samastipur, Bihar, on 23 October 1990, halting his Rath Yatra that was headed towards Ayodhya. The move made national headlines and established Lalu as a bulwark of secular politics in the state, even as it triggered the eventual collapse […]

Following the Janata Dal’s victory in the 1990 Bihar Assembly elections, Lalu Prasad Yadav was sworn in as Chief Minister at Raj Bhavan, Patna, on 10 March 1990. At 41, he became one of the youngest chief ministers in the state’s history, and his rise marked a turning point for backward-caste representation in Bihar politics.

As a young student leader, Lalu Prasad Yadav was elected president of the Bihar Chhatra Sangharsh Samiti, the student body that spearheaded Jayaprakash Narayan’s movement against corruption and misrule. He was among the activists who gave JP the title “Loknayak” during the call for Total Revolution in June 1974. He was arrested under the Maintenance […]

In 1996, allegations surfaced of large-scale embezzlement of Bihar government funds meant for animal husbandry and livestock feed — a scandal that came to be known as the fodder scam. As the case against him grew, Lalu Prasad Yadav resigned as Chief Minister of Bihar on 25 July 1997, handing the office to his wife, […]

In July 1997, weeks after resigning as Chief Minister of Bihar amid the fodder scam allegations, Lalu Prasad Yadav broke away from the Janata Dal and founded the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in New Delhi, along with Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and Kanti Singh. The new party’s stated objective was to build a society based on […]