By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: Efforts are underway to bring back Hena Shahab, the wife of the late Siwan strongman leader and former MP Shahabuddin, into the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). On Wednesday evening, Hena Shahab met with RJD President Lalu Prasad Yadav and Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. The meeting took place at the residence of RJD MLC Vinod Jaiswal on Boring Road in Patna and lasted for about one and a half hours.
Relations between Hena Shahab and the Lalu family had soured in recent years. Before the Lok Sabha elections, she distanced herself from the RJD, choosing to contest as an independent candidate from the Siwan Lok Sabha constituency. Meanwhile, the RJD fielded former Bihar Legislative Assembly Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary as its candidate from Siwan. The primary contest ended up being between JD(U) candidate Vijay Laxmi Kushwaha and Hena Shahab. However, following the elections, efforts have been initiated to re-induct Hena Shahab into the RJD fold.
Hena Shahab and Lalu Prasad Yadav have met twice since the Lok Sabha elections, signaling a potential thaw in relations. Lalu and Tejashwi are keen to bring Shahabuddin’s family back into the RJD, with sources indicating that Hena Shahab’s return to the party is imminent.
During the recent meeting at Vinod Jaiswal’s residence, sources report that the discussions between Hena Shahab and Lalu Yadav were positive and meaningful, with only a formal announcement of her rejoining the RJD pending. It is believed that pressure from RJD MLAs within the Saran Commissionerate played a significant role in these reconciliation efforts, prompting the Yadavs to meet with both Hena Shahab and her son, Osama Shahab.
In light of the upcoming 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections, RJD is keen to strengthen its base in Siwan and surrounding areas by bringing Hena Shahab back into the fold. Shahabuddin had a considerable influence not only in Siwan but also in Seemanchal and Gopalganj. By reuniting with the Shahabuddin family, the RJD aims to prevent any fragmentation among minority voters ahead of the assembly elections.
Hena Shahab had contested the Siwan Lok Sabha seat on the RJD ticket in 2009, 2014, and 2019 but was unsuccessful. After her husband’s death and distancing herself from the Lalu family, she ran as an independent candidate in 2024 but was again defeated. Given the limited options, the renewed efforts to reconcile with the Lalu family seem to be gaining momentum.
The author is a Patna based journalist
