New Delhi, May 20: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) today said that the party was expecting a berth in the Manmohan Singh-led government which would be beneficial for the economic development of Jharkhand and other tribal-dominated states. "We are expecting a berth which will help us to put a thrust on the economic development of Jharkhand and the tribals as a whole," JMM supremo Sibu Soren told.
Claiming that the party has not demanded any particular portfolio, he said Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and prime minister-designate Singh would give "full attention" to bring the state out of economic backwardness.
Asserting that the party was not greedy for any plum ministerial berth, Soren said a portfolio related to Jharkhand was the need of the hour for JMM as the previous BJP-led NDA government at Centre totally ignored the uplift of the state.
"We would like that the viable sick industries in the state are revived," he said adding that the focus of the economic programme should be welfare of the poor farmers and employment opportunities for youths.
Soren said that he would meet Gandhi and Singh tomorrow and discuss the issues of state with them.
JMM has five MPs in the Lok Sabha -- four from Jharkhand and one from Orissa.
Bureau Report