Karnataka Congress MLAs told to work towards winning 20 Lok Sabha seats
Bengaluru, May 24: After wresting power from BJP in Karnataka in the Assembly polls, the state Congress has set its sight on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, with the party asking its MLAs to work towards winning 20 seats.
Karnataka has 28 Lok Sabha seats, and the target of 20 seats was fixed at the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting held at Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday.
"We should win 20 seats in the Lok Sabha polls. We can't sit quietly thinking that we have won the Assembly election. The momentum must carry into the Lok Sabha polls," state Congress president and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said at the meeting.
The BJP had swept 2019 Lok Sabha polls by winning 25 out of 28 seats, while an independent supported by it won one seat. The Congress and JD(S) won just one seat each.
Asking MLAs not to neglect party workers and to respond to people who voted them to power, Shivakumar called on them to ensure that the Congress office is functioning in every district and constituency across the state.
ALSO READ: BJP targets Deputy CM Shivakumar for his 'saffronisation' remarks on Karnataka Police
Later, speaking to reporters, the KPCC chief said the government's top priority is to fulfil the five 'guarantees' made to citizens ahead of polls.
"MLAs have been asked to tour their constituencies to thank voters for the win in Assembly polls," he said.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is also the CLP leader, asked MLAs to regularly attend Assembly sessions.
He also asked the MLAs to create awareness among citizens on the "discrimination" Karnataka is facing at the hands of the Narendra Modi-led government at the centre in terms of devolution of funds, and the injustice that happened to the state with respect to the finance commission.
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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.
