This buffalo is on sale. For Rs 18,000. "I will quote that amount in the beginning, but I think I will settle for 16,000 to 16,500," says Lal Babu Yadav at the Sunday fair near Laxmanpur-Bathe.

In the presence of a few people he says he will vote for the RJD. "Earlier we could not even sit in front of upper class people. Now we have power."

Later, he pulls us aside and whispers in a conspiratorial tone: "Is baar solah anna mein se chaudah anna Paswanji kaa ummidwar jeetega. Oppojisun kaa aadmi khada hai na wahan. Unka saamne kaa bolen?" (This time Paswan's candidate will surely win this seat).