Rahul Gandhi defers decision on Karnataka leadership change: Reports
Bengaluru: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has reportedly put the decision on a possible leadership change in Karnataka on hold after receiving feedback on the potential political repercussions of such a move, according to highly placed party sources.
According to a report published by The New Indian Express on Friday, Rahul Gandhi received detailed inputs from multiple quarters, including election strategist Sunil Kanugol, suggesting that this may not be an opportune time to alter the leadership structure in the state. Based on these assessments, the high command is believed to have decided to defer any immediate decision.
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While Deputy CM DK Shivakumar is yet to get an audience with Rahul, Siddaramaiah sympathisers MLC BK Hariprasad and Minister KJ George met the LoP recently and reportedly voiced their opinion against any change in chief minister.
RDPR and IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge also met Rahul, but it is not known what transpired between them.
According to party insiders, Rahul Gandhi has been advised that a leadership change at this stage could have adverse consequences for the Congress government in Karnataka. Recently, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge had said that the confusion over leadership exists only in the party’s state unit and not with the high command.
Also, AICC general secretaries KC Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala are busy in their states of Kerala and Haryana, respectively. While Venugopal is eyeing the CM post if the Congress wins in Kerala, Surjewala aspires to become the Haryana PCC chief.
As a result, sources said, the final call on power-sharing and leadership in Karnataka rests solely with Rahul Gandhi. However, he is expected to travel to Europe after attending the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Delhi on December 27 and return only after January 10. Until then, no decision is expected on either a cabinet reshuffle or a change in chief minister.
In all probability, Siddaramaiah is likely to break the record set by D Devaraj Urs as the longest-serving CM. Siddaramaiah will break the record on January 6, completing 7 years and 238 days in office. Also, Siddaramaiah is expected to present a record 17th budget.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to leave for Delhi on Friday evening (December 26) to attend the CWC meeting and is likely to meet senior party leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge. He is also expected to hold discussions with Union ministers regarding Karnataka-related projects but is unlikely to raise the issue of leadership change or cabinet reshuffle during this visit.
According to sources, Siddaramaiah may seek approval for a cabinet reshuffle only after Rahul Gandhi returns from his overseas visit.
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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.
