MP assembly polls: Congress, BJP camps face protests over ticket distribution
Bhopal (PTI): Supporters of poll aspirants from the BJP and opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh who failed to get tickets staged protests in different parts of the state on Sunday even as both parties tried to downplay the resentment.
The BJP has declared the candidates for 228 out of 230 seats so far while Congress declared the names of 229 nominees for the assembly elections scheduled for November 17.
In Bhopal, supporters of former BJP MLA and ex-minister Umashankar Gupta raised slogans in front of state BJP president VD Sharma, demanding to replace the party candidate Bhagwandas Sabnani who is in the fray from the Bhopal South West constituency.
Several office-bearers of BJP from Bhopal southwest wrote letters to the state unit chief demanding to field Umashankar Gupta.
Former BJP MLA from Tikamgarh, KK Shrivastava, resigned from the primary membership of the party expressing displeasure over the ticket distribution in a letter addressed to the state BJP president.
In Gwalior, supporters of BJP leader Munnalal Goyal, a loyalist of Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, protested outside the erstwhile royal's Jai Vilas Palace after he (Goyal) was denied a ticket.
To mollify the protesters, Scindia drove to the palace gate and asserted that he stood by them and Goyal.
When asked about the protests, state BJP spokesman Pankaj Chaturvedi said sporadic demonstrations occurred due to momentary excitement.
"BJP workers toil for nationalist ideology and welfare of the poor, unlike Congress. Protests have been held in the Congress camp for the last five days," he said.
Supporters of sitting Congress MLA from Badnagar, Murli Morwal, staged an aggressive protest in front of the Bhopal residence of MP Congress chief Kamal Nath after Morwal failed to get the ticket.
They set tyres on fire demanding that Congress replace its nominee, Rajendra Singh Solanki, from Badnagar.
Congress workers from Govindpura in Bhopal and Kurwai in Vidisha also staged demonstrations at the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) office in Bhopal.
MP Congress media department chairman KK Mishra said the distribution of tickets has been very successful and "positive signals are coming from all over the state".
"These protests are very minor. This is a family matter which will be solved," he added.
On Friday, soon after the BJP released its fifth list, supporters of many leaders who failed to get tickets kicked up a ruckus in front of Union minister Bhupender Yadav at the party office in Jabalpur. Yadav is the in-charge of the Madhya Pradesh BJP election campaign committee.
A video that surfaced on social media showed a crowd jostling around Yadav, while a security personnel was trying to protect the minister.
BJP workers had heated exchanges with senior leaders, including Yadav and Rajya Sabha member Kavita Patidar.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
