R Ashoka, Laxman Savadi and YSV Datta file nominations for Karnataka Assembly elections
Bengaluru, Apr 18: Karnataka Minister R Ashoka, who is taking on state Congress president D K Shivakumar in Kanakapura, former deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi who recently joined the Congress and JD(S)' YSV Datta, who recently rejoined the party, were among the prominent leaders, who filed their nominations on Tuesday, for the May 10 Assembly polls.
With only two days left for formally entering the fray, candidates from various political parties filed their papers by holding roadshows and going on a temple run along with a large number of their supporters, amidst drum beats, waving of party flags and shouting of slogans.
Ashoka, a prominent Vokkaliga face in the BJP, has been fielded against Shivakumar, the community's strong man from Congress in his home constituency of Kanakapura, as part of the ruling party's strategy to give a tough fight to opposition leaders in their turf.
Ashoka filed his nomination at Kanakapura in the presence of BJP national general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Arun Singh and Ramanagara district in-charge Minister C N Ashwath Narayan. They visited a temple and held a massive roadshow ahead of filing papers before the election returning officer.
"Amit Shah (Union Home Minister) is known as 'Chanakya' for his poll strategy, he is the one who has sent me to Kanakapura to contest. Earlier not even 50 people used to come for BJP here, but today if you see, thousands of people are here, it means there is a strong under current, using which I will honestly try to win here and bring in Modi rule in Kanakapura," Ashoka said.
Ashoka, who is also contesting from Padmanabhanagar constituency here, which he currently represents, filed his nomination from there on Monday.
Laxman Savadi, who recently quit BJP and joined Congress on being denied ticket from Athani, filed his papers from the segment after visiting a temple and holding a mega roadshow.
Expressing confidence of of him winning the polls with a huge margin, Savadi said Congress may be victorious in 14 out of 18 Assembly segments in Belagavi district.
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Considered a close confidant of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, Y S V Datta, who had quit JD(S) and joined Congress, but returned to the party recently, after being denied a ticket there, filed his nomination from Kadur.
Gowda, his son and former Minister H D Revanna, also grandson and Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna accompanied Datta while filing his papers as JD(S) candidate.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai accompanied his senior cabinet colleagues Govind Karjol and Murugesh Nirani, as they filed their nominations from Mudhol and Bilgi segments, respectively. Both of them held massive roadshows ahead of filing papers.
Home Minister Araga Jnanendra filed his nomination from Thirthahalli, while his opponent Congress' Kimmane Rathnakar, a former Minister, too submitted his papers.
Former Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, who played an instrumental role in defection of 17 Congress and JD(S) MLAs in 2019 that led to the fall of coalition government and paved the way for BJP to come to power, filed his papers from Gokak on a BJP ticket.
Among others who filed nominations today include sitting MLAs- BJP's Suresh Kumar (Rajajinagar), Dr Bharath Shetty Y (Mangaluru North), Minister Byrathi Basavaraj (K R Puram), Congress' Laxmi Hebbalkar (Belagavi Rural), K Shadakshari (Tiptur), M Krishnappa (Vijayanagara), B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan (Chamrajpet), and JD(S) deputy leader in the Assembly Bandeppa Kashempur (Bidar South) and A Manjunath (Magadi).
Former Minister and MLA Arvind Limbavali's wife Manjula Arvind Limbavali, who had got the ticket for the Mahadevapura Constituency, last night, also filed her papers today.
ನಾಮಪತ್ರ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸುವ ಮುನ್ನ ಕಡೂರು ವಿಧಾನಸಭಾ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದ ವಿವಿಧ ಗ್ರಾಮಗಳಿಗೆ ಭೇಟಿ ನೀಡಿದ ಸಂದರ್ಭ.#ಜನತಾಸರ್ಕಾರ #JanataDalSecular #kadur pic.twitter.com/282z6eCucA
— YSV Datta (@YSV_Datta) April 18, 2023
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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.
