Siwan in Spotlight Again as Osama Shabuddin Receives Turban, Signals Entry into Bihar Politics

When it comes to elections in Bihar, the conversation is incomplete without mentioning Siwan. Recent images have once again brought Siwan into the spotlight, heating up the political atmosphere ahead of the upcoming assembly polls.

In a widely shared video, Harishankar Yadav, the sitting MLA from Raghunathpur, is seen personally tying a symbolic turban on Osama Shabuddin’s head. This act, witnessed by hundreds, is viewed by many as a clear endorsement of Osama’s candidature from the Raghunathpur constituency. The turban ceremony took place at a party workers’ conference on 19th August, attended by former Bihar Assembly Speaker and current Sadar MLA Awadh Bihari Choudhary, and Raghunathpur MLA Harishankar Yadav, making it a highly significant political event.

During the program, Osama Shabuddin, son of the late veteran leader Mohd. Shahabuddin, addressed the gathering and received the turban—regarded in local political culture as a symbol of leadership and responsibility. With this gesture, it became evident that Osama would be the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections from Raghunathpur.

Chants of support such as “Zindabad” and tributes to both Lalu Prasad Yadav and Shahabuddin echoed at the event, with the crowd reaffirming the RJD’s dominance in the region. Siwan’s political landscape has long been influenced by the legacy of Shahabuddin, whose family remains influential despite his controversial past.

Pundits suggest that the turban ceremony is more than a mere ritual—it marks the formal passing of political leadership and legacy from father to son. Osama’s entry signifies the continuation of Shahabuddin’s political lineage in Siwan. At the conference, Awadh Bihari Choudhary openly stated that Tejashwi Yadav, the leader of the opposition and key figure in the RJD, has already given Osama the green light to begin his preparations for the elections.

Addressing the large crowd, Choudhary underlined that the turnout proved RJD’s continued popularity in the region and underscored Osama’s strong support base. He called upon the people of Raghunathpur to pledge full support for Osama, promising a landslide victory for RJD in the 2025 assembly elections. He stressed the necessity to defeat the BJP and NDA, and to elect Tejashwi Yadav as the Chief Minister under the Grand Alliance.

The ceremony concluded with a clear message to voters: the 2025 elections are crucial for change in Bihar, to eradicate issues like unemployment, inflation, and corruption, and to bring RJD-led governance back to the state.