Should I become chief minister again or not: MP CM Chouhan asks people at rally
Bhopal(PTI): In the wake of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra predicting Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's exit from the top post following the year-end assembly polls, the latter asked people at a rally whether he should become the CM again or not.
Political circles in Madhya Pradesh are abuzz with speculation about the Bharatiya Janata Party's top leadership sidelining Chouhan ahead of the assembly polls. For the upcoming elections, the party has fielded several stalwarts as its candidates, who are being considered as contenders for the chief minister's post, if the party retains power.
Addressing a gathering at Dindori on Friday, CM Chouhan asked people, "I want to ask you whether I am running a good government or a bad government. So, should this government move ahead or not? Should Mama (as he is popularly called) become chief minister or not?"
He also asked them if Narendra Modi should continue to be the country's prime minister and whether the BJP should retain power (in the state and centre).
The attendees replied to both the questions in the affirmative.
Priyanka Gandhi, while addressing a rally in Dhar district of the state on Thursday, said Chouhan would not become the chief minister again.
"PM Modi ji comes here...Nowadays he is shying away from mentioning the name of Shivraj ji Just taking his own name and asking (people) to vote for me (Modi). Now he (Chouhan) is not going to become your CM," she said.
Chouhan, the state's longest serving chief minister of the state, is seen getting emotional during public events and rallies recently.
In a public event held in his home-turf Budhni held recently, Chouhan asked people if he should contest elections or not.
At a rally in Budhni, the CM had told women that they would miss a "brother like me" when he is not around.
At an event held in Ujjain on Friday, he said the path of politics was slippery and there was fear of slipping at every step, and sought the blessings of spiritual leaders attending the event to ensure he continues to "walk on the path of virtue".
Earlier, in Khargone, Chouhan had said he had no greed for any post and that he would be happy even if his bones and flesh come of use and do good to people.
Asked about the recent statements seeking public permission about his candidature during the upcoming polls, Chouhan on Friday told reporters in Bhopal, "This means we consider (each other) brother and sisters. Mama's family, which is the people of the state, understands this. If we have to contest (elections), then we will do this only after asking people."
"This is a family relation and it takes a lot of insight to understand it," he said.
Elections to the 230-member Madhya Pradesh assembly are likely to be held at the end of the year.
The BJP has announced the names of 79 candidates, who include Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Prahlad Patel and Faggan Singh Kulaste, as well as party's senior leader and Indore strongman Kailash Vijayvargiya, all political heavyweights being seen as contenders for the chief minister's post.
Earlier this week, Vijayvargiya said he was contesting the upcoming state elections not only to become an MLA, and added that the party would give him some important responsibility.
During a press conference in August, when asked if Chouhan would be chief ministerial face of the party, Union Home Minister and BJP's key strategist Amit Shah had counter-questioned the media asking why it was doing the "party's work (choosing persons for posts)".
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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.
