This bridge and its location perhaps explain a lot about Bihar.

It is around 45 km from Patna, on the way to Gaya in the Masaudhi assembly constituency.

It is in such disastrous shape that people take the kuchcha road rather than risk using the bridge.

What is even more shocking is the fact that local MLA Dharmendra Yadav stays hardly a few metres away (behind this reporter who took this photograph).

For more than a year the legislator must have seen this bridge from his courtyard, assuming that he was around.

Vijay, a local, says, "kuch aisa lekhiyega key yeh bridge jaldi ban jaye." (please write a report so that the bridge will be repaired soon).

Dharmendra Yadav's younger brother Dharamveer Yadav says the state government is concerned about such issues. And as evidence he says, "For a few months now a team of officials has been camping here."

And what do they do? "You see, to make the bridge they need to know the type of vehicles passing through the area. Every day they sit on the bridge and note down these things. Once that data is in, the bridge can be built."

He is sure of an RJD win. "Around 45 per cent of the residents here are Yadavs; they are solidly behind us."

Text: Salil Kumar, Photographs: Arun Singh