Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate Osama Shahab has emerged victorious in Bihar’s Raghunathpur assembly constituency, polling 88,278 votes to defeat Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] rival Vikash Kumar Singh by a margin of 9,157 votes. Singh garnered 79,121 votes, while Jan Suraaj Party’s Rahul Kirti trailed third with approximately 15,000 votes, per final Election Commission of India (ECI) tallies on November 14, 2025.
This win, in a seat with 61.45% voter turnout on November 6 (Phase 1), stands as a rare bright spot for the Mahagathbandhan amid the NDA’s historic sweep of 208 seats statewide. Raghunathpur, a general constituency in Siwan district (part of the Siwan Lok Sabha segment), remains an RJD fortress, bucking the “sushasan” wave that propelled Nitish Kumar to his fifth term.
Shahab’s Lead Grows from Tight Race to Solid Victory
Vote counting wrapped up after 26 rounds, starting with postal ballots favoring JD(U). Shahab overtook early, extending his edge from 3,478 votes (round 4) to 9,236 (midday) and 12,493 (late trends) before sealing the deal. Supporters in Siwan celebrated with sweets and chants of “Shahabuddin zindabad,” viewing it as a legacy triumph.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osama Shahab | RJD | 88,278 | Winner (+9,157) |
| Vikash Kumar Singh | JD(U) | 79,121 | Runner-up |
| Rahul Kirti | Jan Suraaj | ~15,000 | Third |
Final ECI tally; total valid votes: ~1.82 lakh. Check results.eci.gov.in for details.
Shahabuddin’s Shadow: A Debut Victory in RJD Stronghold
Osama, 31 and the youngest son of the late Siwan “bahubali” Mohammad Shahabuddin (RJD MP from 1996-2009, convicted in multiple cases before his 2021 Covid death), made his electoral debut after Lalu Prasad Yadav personally handed him the RJD symbol. The seat has been RJD turf since 1990, with Harishankar Yadav winning in 2015 (10,622-vote margin) and 2020.
Vikash Kumar Singh, a JD(U) candidate with assets worth ₹8.4 crore, leveraged NDA’s development pitch but faltered in this Yadav-Muslim belt. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had slammed RJD for fielding Osama, invoking Shahabuddin’s era as “jungle raj.” A Special Intensive Revision (SIR) updated rolls post-2003, but critics alleged manipulation favoring NDA elsewhere.
Tejashwi Yadav praised it as “people’s rejection of fear,” boosting RJD’s 26 seats in Mahagathbandhan’s 28-33 total. NDA, with 208 seats, eyes Nitish’s oath with PM Modi attending.
