Vibha Devi Yadav
Vibha Devi Yadav | |
|---|---|
| Member of Bihar Legislative Assembly | |
| Assumed office 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Kaushal Yadav |
| Constituency | Nawada |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 June 1966[1] Nawada district, Bihar, India |
| Party | Janata Dal (United) (2025–present) Rashtriya Janata Dal (2020–2025) |
| Spouse | Raj Ballabh Yadav (Husband) |
| Relations | Ashok Yadav (Nephew) |
| Alma mater | None[2] |
| Occupation |
|
Vibha Devi Yadav (born 12 June 1966) is an Indian politician who was elected as a member of Bihar Legislative Assembly from Nawada constituency in 2020 as the candidate of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). She resigned from RJD and joined Janta Dal (United) in 2025.[3][4] She again elected as member of Bihar Legislative Assembly from Nawada constituency in 2025 as the candidate of Janta Dal (United).[5][6][7]
Political career
Yadav contested Nawada Lok Sabha constituency in 2019 as the candidate of Rashtriya Janata Dal but lost to Chandan Singh.[4][8]
On 15 December 2018, her husband Raj Ballabh Yadav – then the sitting MLA from the Nawada constituency – was convicted of the rape of a minor girl and sentenced to life imprisonment.[9] In the 2020 Bihar Legislative Assembly election, the RJP denied tickets to candidates who had been accused of rape and supported the candidature of their wives instead.[10] Vibha Devi contested the Nawada seat as the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate and won with over 40 percent of the votes.[11]
She was re-elected from the same constituency in 2025, this time as a candidate of the Janata Dal (United)JD(U).[12]
Public image
Public criticism over competence and literacy
Many critics have questioned whether Vibha Devi is sufficiently prepared or qualified to be a lawmaker, given her lack of formal education and inability to read and understand legislative documents.[13] Media coverage and public commentary have repeatedly argued that Vibha Devi, the illiterate wife of a former MLA with a controversial reputation as a convicted rapist, reflects the nepotistic and dynastic political practices in the state of Bihar.[14][15]
Oath-taking incident (2025)
During the opening session of the 18th Bihar Legislative Assembly, Vibha Devi struggled to read aloud the Hindi oath paper. She faltered repeatedly and even sought help from a fellow MLA, Manorama Devi, seated beside her to dictate the oath lines.[16] Manorama Devi then enunciated the oath word by word to Vibha Devi, who still struggled to speak the words correctly. The video of this moment quickly went viral across the country and raised questions about candidate selection and public representation in Bihar.[17][18]
Reporting after her oath fiasco also highlighted her disclosed assets of ₹31 crores, bringing public attention to her socio-economic status relative to her literacy and legislative capability.[16]
See also
References
- ^ "BIHAR VIDHAN SABHA/Know your MLA" (PDF). vidhansabha.bih.nic.in.
- ^ "India TV".
- ^ "बिहार विधानसभा चुनाव 2020 में RJD के उम्मीदवार हैं". hindi.news18.com. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
- ^ a b "लोकसभा चुनाव: दुष्कर्म के सजायाफ्ता राजबल्लभ यादव की पत्नी को राजद ने दिया टिकट". www.jagran.com. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
- ^ "Bihar Politics: राजद विधायक विभा देवी जदयू में हुईं शामिल, प्रकाश वीर भी लाइन में लगे - rjd mla vibha devi joins jdu prakash veer next". Jagran (in Hindi). Retrieved 26 November 2025.
- ^ "Vibha Devi , NAWADA candidate Bihar Election bio : Assets , Total Income , Liabilities , Criminal Cases and other details". The Hindu. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
- ^ "Nawada Election Results 2025 Highlights: JD(U)'s Vibha Devi wins against RJD's Kaushal Yadav". The Times of India. 14 November 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
- ^ "NAWADA(BIHAR) – Vibha Devi(RJD):Constituency". myneta.info.
- ^ "Suspended RJD MLA Raj Ballabh Yadav, 5 others held guilty of raping minor girl". The Times of India. 15 December 2018. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
- ^ Singh, Rohit Kumar (5 October 2020). "Bihar: RJD denies ticket to rape-accused, gives it to their wives". India Today. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
- ^ "Nawada Election Result 2020 Highlights: RJD's Vibha Devi defeats JD(U)'s Kaushal Yadav by more than 11,000 votes". www.thedailyjagran.com. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
- ^ "Nawada Election Results 2025 Highlights: JD(U)'s Vibha Devi wins against RJD's Kaushal Yadav". The Times of India. 14 November 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
- ^ "Bihar Assembly First Session: JD(U) MLA Vibha Devi Stumbles While Reading Hindi Oath; Video Goes Viral - The Logical Indian". 2 December 2025. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
- ^ "Oath or Obstacle? Bihar MLA Vibha Devi Struggles to Read in Assembly". www.pratidintime.com. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
- ^ Yadav, Sonali (3 December 2025). "'Nirvachit' Becomes 'Nirvachan', 'Shapath' Becomes 'Satat': MLA Vibha Devi's Oath Mishap Becomes Bihar's Latest Political Flashpoint". NewsGram. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
- ^ a b Jha, Mausam (2 December 2025). "Who is Vibha Devi, Bihar MLA with ₹31 crore net worth, goes viral with her oath-reading video | Watch". mint. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
- ^ "Bihar MLA Vibha Devi struggles to read oath, nudges fellow legislator to help, video goes viral". Hindustan Times. 2 December 2025. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
- ^ "WATCH: JDU MLA Vibha Devi Struggles To Read Oath In Bihar Assembly, Seeks Help From Manorama Devi | Briefs - Times of India Videos". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 December 2025.