"People here are very alert...": UP Dy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya on fielding Shahabuddin's son from Raghunathpur

Siwan (Bihar) [India], November 2 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and BJP Bihar election co-incharge Keshav Prasad Maurya on Sunday warned against fielding RJD leader Shahabuddin's son Osama in the Bihar assembly elections.
Speaking in Siwan with ANI, Maurya said, "If someone wants to make Osama (Shahab) into Osama Bin Laden by giving him a ticket from here, then they should know that the people here are very alert."
Osama Shahab is the son of Mohammad Shahabuddin, a notorious gangster-turned-politician from Bihar. He's made his political debut on a Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) ticket from the Raghunathpur assembly seat in Siwan, which was once considered his father's stronghold.
The RJD's decision to field Osama has sparked controversy, with critics questioning the party's judgment. Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and UP CM Yogi Adityanath have criticised the RJD for fielding Osama, citing his father's criminal history.
The election in Raghunathpur is expected to be closely contested, with Osama facing off against Vikash Kumar Singh of Janata Dal (United) and Rahul Kirti of Jan Suraaj Party. The RJD's strategy in fielding Osama is seen as a bid to tap into the sentiment of his father's legacy, while also highlighting Osama's own credentials.
The UP Deputy CM also targeted RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, saying that Bihar will witness a significant change this time, and Yadav will not become the Chief Minister.
"Bihar will see such a change that Tejashwi Yadav will never dream of becoming Chief Minister again," he said.
Earlier today, Maurya welcomed the arrest of Janata Dal (United) leader and Bihar Assembly candidate from Mokama, Anant Kumar Singh, in connection with the Dularchand Yadav murder case.
Maurya, who is BJP's Bihar co-in charge, said that the arrest sent a clear message to the people that there is no discrimination in the state under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
"The law and order situation is very good...The arrest of Anant Singh is a clear message that there is no discrimination under the leadership of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar," Maurya, who is among the star campaigners for the Bihar Assembly polls, told ANI.
Maurya also addressed the issue of the Mahagathbandhan's Chief Ministerial nominee, Tejashwi Yadav, claiming to give representation to every section in the state. He noted that even if RJD make all of their winning candidates as Deputy CM, there is no future for their alliance with Congress.
"Even if they make all the winning candidates of RJD as deputy chief ministers, the RJD-Congress alliance has no future in Bihar. If they manage to cross the figure of 50, that itself would be a big achievement," he said.
On Saturday night, Anant Kumar Singh was arrested by Patna Police in connection with the murder case of a Jan Suraaj supporter, Dularchand Yadav, the Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kartikeya Sharma said.
On October 30, a Jan Suraaj supporter, Dularchand Yadav, was killed during firing between the two sides while campaigning for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections in Mokama.
Voting for Bihar's 243-seat Assembly will take place in two phases on November 6 and 11. Counting of votes will take place on November 14. (ANI)