Karnataka BJP targets Cong after "fake" candidates' list emerges on social media
Bengaluru, Apr 4: The BJP on Tuesday dismissed as "fake" a purported list of candidates for the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka that is in circulation on social media, and alleged that it was a "lie manufactured in the Congress factory".
The ruling party has not yet released the list of candidates and is likely to come out with one after its Parliamentary Board meeting on April 8.
The "fake" four-page list of candidates for 81 constituencies is in circulation on social media with the claim that it had been released by the Central Election Committee of the BJP on Tuesday after a meeting chaired by party national president J P Nadda. However, the party issued a statement quoting its national general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Arun Singh as saying that the list is fake.
"Another lie from the Congress' factory of lies. While the process of selecting the BJP candidates is in progress, this list is a fake one," the BJP state unit tweeted.
BJP national general secretary and Chikkamagaluru MLA C T Ravi too tweeted, "CONgress Fake News Factory is circulating an alleged list of @BJP4Karnataka candidates on Social Media. Kannadigas know that we have not finalised our candidates for upcoming Assembly Elections. Fearing its defeat, CONgress has resorted to its usual cheap tactics against BJP."
Earlier in the day, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the process of selecting candidates for the Assembly polls was being held in a democratic way and it would be completed smoothly with the list being announced after the party's central leadership finalises it on April 8.
Asked by reporters if there would be surprise candidates in the fray from the BJP, he said: "Certainly, there is a plan for new experiments in certain constituencies and they will happen."
ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಸುಳ್ಳಿನ ಫ್ಯಾಕ್ಟರಿಯಿಂದ ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ಸುಳ್ಳು.
— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) April 4, 2023
ಭಾರತೀಯ ಜನತಾ ಪಾರ್ಟಿಯ ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿ ಆಯ್ಕೆಯ ಪ್ರಕ್ರಿಯೆಯು ಪ್ರಗತಿಯಲ್ಲಿದ್ದು, ಈ ಪಟ್ಟಿಯು ‘FAKE’ ಆಗಿರುತ್ತದೆ.#LiesofCongress pic.twitter.com/8x4vWZr1fJ
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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.
