Mohammad Shahabuddin

Mohammad Shahabuddin (born 10 May 1967) is one of India's most powerful criminal-politicians. Four times Member of Parliament from Siwan, Bihar, with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) party of Lalu Prasad Yadav, and 2-time MLA in the Bihar Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly), he is currently serving a life sentence for kidnapping with intent to murder. Because of this conviction, he was not permitted to contest in the 2009 general election. He is also under trial in more than thirty criminal cases including eight of murder, twenty of attempted murder, as well as kidnapping, extortion, etc.

Shahabuddin was elected to four successive terms in the Indian Parliament (Lok Sabha) from 1996-2008. In the 2009 general election, the RJD party had put up his wife Hena Shahab from Siwan constituency in Bihar, but his long-time opponent, Om Prakash Yadav, defeated her by 63,000 votes (9%).

In 2004, Shahabuddin's opponents were intimidated from campaigning even though he was in prison during the elections. Immediately after the election, which he won by a margin of 100,000 votes (16%), nine party workers of the nearest candidate, Om Prakash Yadav of Janata Dal (United), were found murdered, allegedly for daring to put up a credible fight.

He has been winning Lok Sabha elections from Siwan since 1996, prior to which he was elected twice to the Bihar Legislative Assembly (1990 and 1995). Few opponents dare campaign publicly for fear; in addition, he is widely believed to have rigged many polling stations in the past. As a leading member of the RJD party headed by Lalu Prasad Yadav, he is part of the ruling United Progressive Alliance government of Manmohan Singh.

In May 2007, Shahabuddin was found guilty in a case of "kidnapping with intent to murder", and he was sentenced to life imprisonment. This may mean that he would be unable to stand for any subsequent elections.

Shahabuddin holds a Master of Arts in Political Science, and a Ph.D., possibly from the B.R. Ambedkar Bihar University, Muzaffarpur.