India, March 16 -- Even as the five-party Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-Congress-Left parties' Mahagatbandhan, or Grand Alliance, is still busy finalising the seat-sharing deal for Bihar's 40 Lok Sabha seats ahead of the general elections, there are indications that the Lalu Prasad Yadav-led RJD, the biggest constituent in the Grand Alliance, is facing a tough time negotiating a 'sweet deal' with the major Left party constituent, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation), or CPI-ML-Liberation.

The reason is the CPI-ML-Liberation's growing dependability as a trusted ally for the RJD. The Left party's strike rate in the 2020 assembly polls left a deep impression on Lalu, as well as on his younger son and heir apparent, Teja...