RJD Chief Lalu Yadav Meets Late Shahabuddin's Wife As He Embarks On Fresh Attempts To Woo Muslim Voters

It seems that Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad has embarked upon his fresh efforts to consolidate Muslim votes ahead of the 2025 Bihar assembly election.

Recently, Lalu, along with his son and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, met Heena Shahab, wife of the late former RJD MP from Siwan, Mohammad Shahabuddin, at a party MLC’s residence in Patna.

According to a report from TNIE, the meeting took place after RJD MLAs from Siwan urged Lalu to reconnect with Heena Shahab, who had earlier expressed dissatisfaction with the way she was treated following her husband's death due to Covid-19 in Delhi's Tihar jail in 2021.

This urgency of Yadav may have been likely driven by concerns over his party’s ability to maintain control over the Muslim vote which is reportedly under siege from the growing success of AIMIM candidates in the Muslim-dominated Seemanchal region in the 2020 assembly election and Prashant Kishor’s fresh efforts to attract Muslim voters.

Heena Shahab contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Siwan as an Independent candidate but lost to the JD(U) candidate. Despite her defeat, she had secured a 29.42 per cent vote share, demonstrating her significant political influence.

Her strong showing in the last Lok Sabha election convinced Lalu of the importance of regaining the support of Shahabuddin’s family, which continues to wield substantial influence not only in Siwan but also in the neighbouring districts of Saran and Gopalganj.

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