On April 29, the temperature touched 43 degrees Celcius but there was buzz outside the collectorate office in Siwan, Bihar. Supporters wearing saffron and yellow were eagerly waiting for their “madam”, who was set to file her nomination that day. One among them was Vinay Kumar Pandey, who said that these elections will see a major shift in the political history of Siwan and that 80 per cent of Savarnas will cast their vote in favour of their “madam”—Hena Shahab, the wife of former strongman and Member of Parliament Mohammad Shahabuddin, who succumbed to Covid in 2021.