New Delhi, Oct 27 (IANS): Former MP Mohammad Shahabuddin's wife, Hina Shahab, who recently contested the Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate from Siwan, Bihar, officially joined the RJD on Sunday, along with her son Osama Shahab.

They were welcomed into the party by RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son, Bihar’s Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav.

Tejashwi Yadav emphasised the importance of combating communal forces in Bihar and maintaining peace and order. "We must stand united to face this challenge," he said.

He remarked that unemployment remains a pressing issue in the state.

He also expressed support for Osama Shahab potentially contesting in future elections, stating that he should absolutely contest and the RJD will make the final decision in this regard.

Senior RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui was also present during the event.

Taking to social media platform X, Tejashwi Yadav expressed his optimism, posting photos of the membership ceremony and writing, "We are winning, Bihar is winning."

The Shahabuddin family has deep-rooted ties with the RJD. Osama’s father, Mohammad Shahabuddin, held the Siwan parliamentary seat as an RJD MP, while his mother, Hina Shahab, has contested the Lok Sabha elections from Siwan on an RJD ticket multiple times. She last ran as an RJD candidate in 2019, after which her relationship with the party became strained.

In response to Hina Shahab’s return to the RJD fold, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary criticised the move, stating, "The RJD symbolises criminalisation, hooliganism, and corruption."

One of Bihar’s most feared gangster-turned-politicians, Mohammad Shahabuddin, remained undefeated in Siwan until his 2007 conviction in a murder case, which led to his disqualification. Shahabuddin passed away in 2021 while serving a life sentence in Delhi’s Tihar Jail.