Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday launched a game-changing 4.57 km, six-lane bridge over the Ganges, connecting Patna to Raghopur, the political bastion of RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, in a move poised to reshape regional connectivity and electoral dynamics.

The grand inauguration took place near Kachchi Dargah in eastern Patna, where Kumar, joined by Deputy CMs Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, Assembly Speaker Nawal Kishor Yadav, and top officials, cut the ceremonial ribbon. Post-event, the Chief Minister, eyeing a fifth term in the upcoming polls, drove to Raghopur in Vaishali district, where he was warmly received by locals.

“This bridge is a lifeline for Raghopur’s riverine communities, who once relied on boats to reach Patna,” Kumar said, celebrating the project’s completion. The bridge promises to slash travel time and boost economic activity in the flood-prone diyara region.

Notably absent was Tejashwi Yadav, the Leader of the Opposition and Raghopur’s representative, who was tied up at the RJD office as his father, Lalu Prasad, filed nomination papers for re-election as party president. The Yadav family, including Lalu and Rabri Devi, has long dominated Raghopur’s politics, but the RJD has stayed mum on the bridge, a potential feather in the cap of the ruling JD(U)-BJP alliance ahead of elections.

The Congress, RJD’s ally, was quick to claim credit, with legislature party leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan noting the project was greenlit in 2015 under the Mahagathbandhan government, when JD(U) and RJD were partners. Khan also fired salvos at the NDA, alleging a 60% cost overrun—from ₹3,115 crore to ₹4,988 crore—and citing “corruption” and structural concerns. He pointed to 27 bridge collapses statewide in recent years, including 12 in just 17 days last year.

As the bridge opens new routes for commuters and political battles alike, all eyes are on how this infrastructure milestone will play out in Bihar’s charged electoral landscape.