Bihar's 'Osama' to contest against Modi from Varanasi

In Patna and across Bihar, people don't know his real name. Everyone calls him bin Laden.

According to Salam Iraqi, one of his friends, Noor plunged into politics in 2004 when he sought ticket from Paswan's LJP to contest the assembly polls. His plea was turned down.

But Paswan asked Noor to campaign for his party and he would introduce him as "Osama bin Laden" at election rallies.

Noor switched over to the RJD in September 2005 and campaigned for Lalu Prasad.

He was so much in demand that Paswan and Lalu Prasad would invariably find a seat for him on their campaign helicopters, even if it meant dropping a senior party leader.

Noor is not a hardliner.

He is the grandson of Kazi Muzahidul Islam, former president of the Muslim Personal Law Board. His father, Noor Ahmad, was a close associate of veteran socialist leader George Fernandes.

Such was Noor's image that Narendra Modi once made a mention about him.

Late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan accused Lalu Prasad and Paswan in 2005 of glorifying "the most wanted terrorist in the world" by asking Noor to campaign for them.