CPI(M) leader Smitha Sundaresan joins BJP
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): CPI(M) leader Smitha Sundaresan on Sunday joined the BJP, alleging erosion of values in her former party.
Daughter of CPI(M) leader Sundaresan from Thiruvananthapuram district, she was serving as a councillor in the Varkala Block Panchayat and was a member of the party’s Varkala Area Committee.
She was welcomed into the BJP by state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar and party’s state in-charge Prakash Javadekar at an event held here.
Speaking to reporters, Sundaresan said she had resigned from her post as Block Panchayat councillor to join the BJP.
"It is value erosion in CPI(M) that prompted me to join BJP. More than that, I was also attracted by the unparalleled development works initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," she said.
She alleged that personal interests and bias have become common within the CPI(M).
"When it comes to cases involving vested interests, CPI(M) does not adhere to its ideology and rules," she added.
There are indications that Sundaresan may be fielded from the Varkala constituency, with the BJP possibly taking over the seat from NDA ally BDJS.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
