LS poll under collective leadership: Deve Gowda
“No objection over Rahul Gandhi’s ambition to become PM
Hubballi, July 15: Saying that the Lok Sabha election would be faced under collective leadership, JDS supremo and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda said that the Third Front was not yet formed and he would not lead it.
Speaking to reporters here on Sunday, the former PM said that all leaders of the Third Front were present during the swearing in ceremony of Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwar. But till now, the Third Front had no clarity. In each state, the regional parties have their own positives and negatives and in some states, national parties have strong base. In the threshold of Lok Sabha elections, there might be alliance with some political parties in some states. This alliance could also be happened post-election. But it would depend upon the demands of the circumstances, he analysed.
“In Tamil Nadu, there are several groups and it would be difficult to understand their strength. There is no clarity on the political parties which go with the Congress against BJP. But I would not say that all the 29 leaders of various parties who came to Bengaluru, would come together. But they created a history by coming under one roof while the JDS-Congress coalition government was forming. My fight is limited to protect the JDS in the national politics. I would not go to take up the leadership against BJP. I have the seniority. But I also know the strength of my party”, he said.
“I will not object for Rahul’s leadership”
“I’ll not have any objection for the leadership of AICC president Rahul Gandhi and his ambition to become the Prime Minister. The Congress would decide on making Mallikarjuna Kharge as the PM. We are concerned with the number of seats in the Lok Sabha election. JDS-Congress alliance should also be discussed and finalized”.
- HD Deve Gowda, JDS Supremo
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismisses defence minister in surprise announcement
Jerusalem, Nov 5: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday dismissed his popular defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in a surprise announcement that came as the country is embroiled in wars on multiple fronts across the region.
Netanyahu and Gallant have repeatedly been at odds over the war in Gaza. But Netanyahu had avoided firing his rival. Netanyahu cited “significant gaps” and a “crisis of trust” between the men in his Tuesday evening announcement.
“In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and defence minister,” Netanyahu said. “Unfortunately, although in the first months of the campaign there was such trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the defence minister.”
In the early days of the war, Israel's leadership presented a unified front as it responded to Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack. But as the war dragged on and spread to Lebanon, key policy differences have emerged. While Netanyahu has called for continued military pressure on Hamas, Gallant had taken a more pragmatic approach, saying that military force has created the necessary conditions for a diplomatic deal that could bring home hostages held by the Hamas group.
Gallant, a former general who has gained public respect with a gruff, no-nonsense personality, said in a statement: “The security of the state of Israel always was, and will always remain, my life's mission."
Gallant has worn a simple, black buttoned shirt throughout the war in a sign of sorrow over the October 7 attack and developed a strong relationship with his US counterpart, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.
A previous attempt by Netanyahu to fire Gallant in March 2023 sparked widespread street protests against Netanyahu. He also flirted with the idea of dismissing Gallant over the summer but held off until Tuesday's announcement.
Gallant will be replaced by Foreign Minister Israel Katz, a Netanyahu loyalist and veteran Cabinet minister who was a junior officer in the military. Gideon Saar, a former Netanyahu rival who recently rejoined the government, will take the foreign affairs post.
Netanyahu has a long history of neutralising his rivals. In his statement, he claimed he had made “many attempts” to bridge the gaps with Gallant.
“But they kept getting wider. They also came to the knowledge of the public in an unacceptable way, and worse than that, they came to the knowledge of the enemy - our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it,” he said.
