<p>Patna: Since Independence, Siwan in Bihar remained in news for two prime reasons: One, it gave India its first President Dr Rajendra Prasad, who continued on the post for 12 consecutive years from 1950 to 1962, a record of sorts.</p><p>Second, a reign of terror, unleashed by the ‘unchallenged lord’ of Siwan, Md Shahabuddin, the controversial don-turned-RJD lawmaker, from 1990 till his death in 2021.</p>.Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 | 'All Bills will be torn apart if...': RJD MLC sparks row over Waqf Bill remark.<p>Shahabuddin, who won as MLA twice in 1990 and 1995 and as Lok Sabha MP four times: 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004, was Robinhood for the poor, extortionists for traders, pillar of support for Lalu and a pain in the neck for the Bihar Police. He was jailed in 2005 when Bihar was under President’s rule and died due to Covid infection in 2021, while remaining incarcerated.</p><p>The 'ghost' of Shahabuddin is again haunting the voters of Siwan where no less than Union Home Minister Amit Shah took a jibe at the Opposition CM face Tejashwi Yadav and questioned him whether he wants to rule Bihar with the help of Osama Shahab, the son of Md Shahabuddin, who has been fielded as the RJD candidate from Raghunathpur in Siwan.</p><p>“Shahabuddin’s son Osama is enough to remind the people of Bihar about the Jungle Raj of Lalu-Rabri era,” said Shah, with his party workers narrating the chilling incidents of horror unleashed by Shahabuddin at every nook and corner of the constituency.</p><p>Little wonder, videos showing how the two traders, who reportedly refused to pay extortion to Shahabuddin, were bathed with acid and killed, have gone viral. Or, for that matter, how the late RJD MP threatened the then Siwan SP (an IPS officer) to chase him up to Rajasthan (the SP’s home state).</p>.Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 | RJD had refused to name Muslim as CM in 2005: Chirag Paswan's minority reach-out.<p><strong>Bad Optics</strong></p><p>Tejashwi, who has promised to build a 'new Bihar' and wants to start on a clean slate, is, however, getting bad optics by fielding controversial figures like Osama from Raghunathpur. “Will you establish the rule of law through tainted persons like Osama or Ritlal Yadav (RJD nominee from Danapur, who is in jail)?” asks Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor.</p><p>Amit Shah supplements further. “For 20 years, one A-category history-sheeter Shahabuddin, facing triple murder charges, remained a terror here. But today even if a 100 Shahabuddin comes, no one can harm you, such is the rule of law under Nitish Kumar and Narendra Modi,” says Shah.</p><p><strong>Reasoning</strong></p><p>RJD sources say the decision to field Osama was more a reconciliation with Shahabuddin’s family than any political compulsions.</p><p>“The RJD fielded Shahabuddin’s wife Heena Shahab in 2009, 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha election. She lost on all the three occasions (as Shahabuddin was in jail). The RJD did not field her in 2024. She contested as an Independent and ended up as runner-up after securing 2,93,000 votes. It was the electoral maths (where Muslims and Yadavs still remain loyal to RJD), plus the clout of Shahabuddin’s family in their stronghold Siwan, which made the RJD field Osama, a formidable candidate, who is making his poll debut from Raghunathpur in Siwan,” explained a senior RJD leader.</p><p>Osama, who has studied law in the UK, and was reportedly jailed in 2024 over two land dispute cases, would face Vikas Singh of JD(U). Voting is slated here during the first phase of the poll on November 6.</p>
<p>Patna: Since Independence, Siwan in Bihar remained in news for two prime reasons: One, it gave India its first President Dr Rajendra Prasad, who continued on the post for 12 consecutive years from 1950 to 1962, a record of sorts.</p><p>Second, a reign of terror, unleashed by the ‘unchallenged lord’ of Siwan, Md Shahabuddin, the controversial don-turned-RJD lawmaker, from 1990 till his death in 2021.</p>.Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 | 'All Bills will be torn apart if...': RJD MLC sparks row over Waqf Bill remark.<p>Shahabuddin, who won as MLA twice in 1990 and 1995 and as Lok Sabha MP four times: 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004, was Robinhood for the poor, extortionists for traders, pillar of support for Lalu and a pain in the neck for the Bihar Police. He was jailed in 2005 when Bihar was under President’s rule and died due to Covid infection in 2021, while remaining incarcerated.</p><p>The 'ghost' of Shahabuddin is again haunting the voters of Siwan where no less than Union Home Minister Amit Shah took a jibe at the Opposition CM face Tejashwi Yadav and questioned him whether he wants to rule Bihar with the help of Osama Shahab, the son of Md Shahabuddin, who has been fielded as the RJD candidate from Raghunathpur in Siwan.</p><p>“Shahabuddin’s son Osama is enough to remind the people of Bihar about the Jungle Raj of Lalu-Rabri era,” said Shah, with his party workers narrating the chilling incidents of horror unleashed by Shahabuddin at every nook and corner of the constituency.</p><p>Little wonder, videos showing how the two traders, who reportedly refused to pay extortion to Shahabuddin, were bathed with acid and killed, have gone viral. Or, for that matter, how the late RJD MP threatened the then Siwan SP (an IPS officer) to chase him up to Rajasthan (the SP’s home state).</p>.Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 | RJD had refused to name Muslim as CM in 2005: Chirag Paswan's minority reach-out.<p><strong>Bad Optics</strong></p><p>Tejashwi, who has promised to build a 'new Bihar' and wants to start on a clean slate, is, however, getting bad optics by fielding controversial figures like Osama from Raghunathpur. “Will you establish the rule of law through tainted persons like Osama or Ritlal Yadav (RJD nominee from Danapur, who is in jail)?” asks Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor.</p><p>Amit Shah supplements further. “For 20 years, one A-category history-sheeter Shahabuddin, facing triple murder charges, remained a terror here. But today even if a 100 Shahabuddin comes, no one can harm you, such is the rule of law under Nitish Kumar and Narendra Modi,” says Shah.</p><p><strong>Reasoning</strong></p><p>RJD sources say the decision to field Osama was more a reconciliation with Shahabuddin’s family than any political compulsions.</p><p>“The RJD fielded Shahabuddin’s wife Heena Shahab in 2009, 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha election. She lost on all the three occasions (as Shahabuddin was in jail). The RJD did not field her in 2024. She contested as an Independent and ended up as runner-up after securing 2,93,000 votes. It was the electoral maths (where Muslims and Yadavs still remain loyal to RJD), plus the clout of Shahabuddin’s family in their stronghold Siwan, which made the RJD field Osama, a formidable candidate, who is making his poll debut from Raghunathpur in Siwan,” explained a senior RJD leader.</p><p>Osama, who has studied law in the UK, and was reportedly jailed in 2024 over two land dispute cases, would face Vikas Singh of JD(U). Voting is slated here during the first phase of the poll on November 6.</p>