The bitter rivalry between the JDU and the BJP over bridges on the Ganga can benefit the state.

After the Nitish government decided to go ahead with the ambitious Rs 5,000-crore bridge over the Ganga from Kachi Dargah in Patna to Bidupur in Vaishali district, state BJP leaders have hinted that another bridge over the Ganga, running parallel to Gandhi Setu, would shortly be announced as part of the package to be announced ahead of the polls.

"If Nitish Kumar can lay the foundation stone even before work actually begins, so can we," said a BJP leader.

For years, there has been a demand for a bridge running parallel to Gandhi Setu as the existing one has become "unsafe" owing to structural faults. The demand was made during the UPA regime.

However, the Centre did not clear it. Now, after the state government has gone ahead with the signature bridge by taking a loan of $500 million from Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Centre has decided to gift Bihar another bridge.

Union minister for transport and highways Nitin Gadkari had declared that the Centre was willing to give the state projects worth Rs 50,000 crore if the state made land available. State minister for road construction Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lallan Singh, dubbed the Union minister's statement as a "pack of lies" in view of the upcoming elections.

The BJP is questioning the wisdom of the Nitish government to make the bridge from its own resources.

"Once the project starts, the state will not only have to manage Rs 2,000 crore from its own resources, it would have to pay the interest on the loan it has taken from the ADB," said former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, pointing out that in April this year, state road construction department officials had approached the Centre for a Rs 2,000-crore grant for the proposed bridge.

"But they were told that there was no provision for a grant. Instead, the Centre proposed to construct the bridge with its resources. For reasons best known to the Nitish government it rejected the proposal. Now, the financial burden of the bridge is going to fall on the new government which would come to power after the Assembly polls," said Modi.

Presently, Bihar has three bridges over the Ganga - Gandhi Setu, Mokama bridge and Bhagalpur road bridge. Two - Gandhi Setu and Mokama rail-cum-road bridge - are in a precarious condition and movement of heavy traffic is restricted.

Hopes for an early completion of the Digha-Sonepur rail-cum-road bridge has dwindled owing to land acquisition problems.

"Bihar desperately needs more bridges over the Ganga, which divides the state between the north and the south. Even if rivalry between the two major parties means more bridges, it is welcome," said a senior JDU leader.