PATNA — Lalu Prasad Yadav, one of the most charismatic leaders of India's backward castes, is known for his love for cattle. But his wife Rabri Devi, the former Bihar chief minister, has pipped her husband when it came to owning cows. Rabri, who is contesting contesting the parliamentary election from Saran constituency on the ticket of his husband's party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), owns 65 cows and calves, according to an affidavit she filed with her nomination papers. In the last four years, the number of her cows and calves has decreased. In 2010, when she contested the state assembly election, Rabri owned 62 cows and 42 calves. “Most of the cows and calves were at her husband's cattle shed in Danapur town on Patna's outskirts,” said a RJD leader close to Lalu. Another RJD leader said when Rabri was the chief minister, she had over 100 cows and calves and most of them were kept in the specially designed shed at her official residence. But when she was asked to vacate the place following the party's defeat in 2005 assembly elections, the cows were shifted to Danapur. According to the affidavit, Rabri is richer than her husband. Her movable and immovable property is worth Rs6.5 crore while Lalu has assets worth about Rs1 crore. She did not have any vehicle but she has a double-barrel gun and 467 gm of jewelry. She has half a dozen houses in Patna. Lalu has an old Maruti 800 car and a jeep. Rabri was fielded from Saran constituency from where her husband won in 2009. But, he had to quit after being convicted in the multi-crore fodder scam case last year. She is contesting against BJP candidate and former Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy. — Agencies
