JMM meeting tomorrow to finalise stand on trust vote
New Delhi (PTI): Amid reports of division in the party over supporting the government in the trust vote, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has called a meeting of its party office bearer, including five Lok Sabha members, on Sunday to finalise its stand.
"Important functionaries have been asked to be in the capital. Party chief Shibu Soren will discuss the issue with them," party general secretary Hemlal Murmu told reporters.
A decision on the party's stand over the motion will be taken only after a detailed discussions with the party functionaries of Jharkhand, he added.
Murmu, however, denied possibility of any split in the party. "We are all united," he claimed.
Murmu admitted that the party functionaries are sore over the "injustice" done to JMM by UPA.
"We are a part of the UPA for the last four-and-a-half years. There is also a UPA government in Jharkhand. But for last sometime there have been serious introspection in the party that JMM did not get justice despite UPA governments both at the Centre and the state," he added.
The party leader said, "the JMM is a regional party which does not do international politics. We have to fight the elections on the party worker's strength. So it is necessary for us to seek their opinion. After all we have to decide our politics."
Murmu said the JMM will not abstain from voting.
"Why should we?" questioned Murmu.
"There is no middle path in politics. It is either this side or that side. Those who swim in the middle of current sink. People have sent us to Parliament to present our views," Murmu remarked.
Asked for JMM's participation in dinner hosted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday, Murmu said, it will depend on various factors.
Murmu admitted there is excitement in the party rank and file in Jharkhand over the talks of "Soren becoming the chief minister again."
"The state Chief Minister Madhu Koda has already said he would readily step down for Soren but we have to deliberate that whether Guruji (Soren) would head the state in the UPA set up or not," he added.
About the NDA reportedly offering Soren the chief ministership of Jharkhand, Murmu said he does not deny that "NDA might have approached the JMM".
"People from all parties meet each other and we are averse to meeting anybody," he said while replying a query whether the JMM had a talk with NDA in this regard.
National