Life is a riot of colours for Lalu. . . His rise, from being a poor farmer's son in rural Bihar to the state's chief minister and now the nation's railway minister has been phenomenal.
A man who dreamt of being a cop, first stepped into politics during the Patna University Students' Union elections.
He always nursed big ambitions and worked hard to establish himself as a leader. So it is no surprise that at 29, he became one of the youngest Members of Parliament.
It then took him 10 years to emerge as a strong leader in Bihar and become the chief minister of the state. But his reign did not last long. He was forced to quit on charges of corruption in 1996. This forced him to resign, but he smartly chose his wife, Rabri Devi, to be his successor.
He formed the Rashtriya Janata Dal in 1997, after breaking away from the Janata Dal. In the 2005 Bihar Assembly elections, Lalu's party faced defeat in the state. Though the state was neglected and continued to remain impoverished after 15 years' of Lalu's reign, he has grown as one of India's most powerful politicians.
Image: Lalu and his wife Rabri Devi celebrate Holi, the festival of colours.
Photograph: Manpreet Romana/AFP/Getty Images
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