Patna:
RJD boss Lalu Prasad Yadav may have spent a lifetime in Indian politics but he has been beaten to the riches by his wife and late entrant Rabri Devi who succeeded him as chief minister of Bihar.
And Rabri, whom Lalu recently said is like a 'chingari' (spark of fire), has also left him behind in ownership of animals. She possesses 60 cows and 42 calves worth Rs 17.18 lakh.
Rabri, who is the Leader of the Opposition, in her affidavits filed along with her nomination papers for Sonepur and Raghopur seats in the Bihar Assembly elections said she has over Rs 1.41 crore in terms of landed property. In contrast, the building owned by Prasad is valued at Rs 22 lakh at the present market rate.
Rabri also surpasses her husband in terms of bank balance with her deposits in banks, financial institutions and non-banking financial companies at a little over Rs 57 lakh.
Along with her PPF account which has a deposit of 10,41,355, she is obviously richer than her husband as Lalu has just 17.92 lakh, including PPF amount of Rs 8.03 lakh, according to the affidavits.
The affidavits said Rabri has agricultural land worth over Rs 1.07 crore and non-agricultural land worth Rs 31.15 lakh, besides commercial residential building worth Rs 10 lakh.
Lalu, on the other hand, does not have agricultural land.
Rabri was chief minister from 1997 to 2005 succeeding her husband.
Rabri, who along with Lalu, was an accused in a disproportionate assets case, an off-shoot of the multi-crore rupees fodder scam but was acquitted, possesses 60 cows and 42 calves worth Rs 17.18 lakh, the affidavits said.
Lalu has a 1990 model Maruti 800 worth Rs 25,000 and a military disposal jeep purchased in 1977, when he became a Lok Sabha member for the first time, valued at Rs 20,000.
The RJD chief has jewellery and precious stones worth about Rs 81,600 and his wife approximately Rs 7.62 lakh.
The duo's National Saving Certificates with the combined face value of Rs two lakh have not been renewed as those have been seized by the CBI, investigating the fodder scam cases, the affidavits added.