Congress top brass meets Karnataka leaders to hammer strategy for 2024 LS Polls
New Delhi, Aug 2: Top Congress leadership on Wednesday discussed the party's strategy for the next Lok Sabha elections with senior party leaders from Karnataka and called for unity in the party cadre for a repeat of its electoral success.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi were part of the discussions, where Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar, besides AICC general secretary in-charge for Karnataka Randeep Surjewala, were present.
Kharge and Gandhi urged the party leaders to help repeat the party performance in the upcoming general elections and called for unity across its rank and file.
Sources said Rahul Gandhi also told the leaders and ministers there should be no corruption in the Congress government in the state.
He urged the ministers to rise to the expectations of the people who have voted the party to power.
"Together, we are scripting a new chapter of progress and welfare for 6.5 Crore Kannadigas. We are tirelessly working towards fulfilling our 5 solemn guarantees, all of which are in advanced stages of implementation," Kharge said after the meeting.
"A historic mandate also brings in a huge responsibility. We are confident that the people of Karnataka will also repose their faith in the Congress party in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections," the Congress chief said.
He also said that Karnataka trusts the party's "welfare-oriented governance and development paradigm."
Siddaramaiah later tweeted pictures of the meeting, while KC Venugopal, AICC general secretary, organisation, claimed the party will come to power in 2024 with a resounding victory.
"Today, attended a meeting to review preparations of Karnataka Congress for the Lok Sabha elections, chaired by INC President Sh. Mallikarjun Kharge ji, along with Sh. Rahul Gandhi ji and other senior leaders.
"Karnataka gave the INC a historic mandate. We are working tirelessly to fulfil our guarantees, and will usher in transformative change in the state. Repeating 2023, Karnataka will resoundingly reject BJP in 2024," Venugopal said in a tweet after the meeting.
"Neither do people believe PM Modi anymore, nor think that BJP's motley group of incompetent MPs and Karnataka leaders can deliver on their hopes. Karnataka is firmly behind the Congress, be it Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha," he also said.
The Congress won the assembly elections in Karnataka recently and ousted the BJP from the lone southern state where it was in power.
The party is now seeking to stage a stupendous performance in the Lok Sabha elections riding the momentum after its victory in Karnataka.
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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.
