See defeat and victory with equanimity:Kumaraswamy after JD(S) tallies only 19 seats in K'taka polls
Bengaluru, May 13: JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday said he accepts defeat and victory with equanimity and the loss in the Karnataka Assembly polls was not final for him and his party.
The former chief minister, whose party has won 19 seats in the Assembly polls, wished good luck to the new government that will be coming into existence and expressed hope that they respond to the requirements of the people.
The Congress scored a thumping win in the Assembly polls with Election Commission data showing the party winning or leading in 136 seats which gives it a comfortable majority on its own in the 224-member state Assembly.
"I welcome the mandate of the people of the state. In a democratic system, the mandate of people is final. I accept defeat and victory with equanimity. However, this defeat is not final, my struggle will not stop, I will always be with the people. I thank the people who have blessed our party," Kumaraswamy said.
The JD(S) leader won from Channapatna segment in the party's traditional bastion of Old Mysuru region by defeating C P Yogeshwara of the BJP by 15,915 votes.
Stating that both victory and loss are not new to him or his family, Kumaraswamy said: "Earlier (father and party chief) H D Deve Gowda, (brother and MLA) H D Revanna and I too had lost. When we won, we served people with commitment. In the coming days, I will get involved in the organisation and work on building the party."
Wishing good luck to the incoming government, Kumaraswamy wished that it responds to the requirements of the people. "My gratitude to the workers, leaders and candidates (of JDS) who worked day and night for the party in this election. No one should panic for any reason, I am with you," he added.
It was widely expected that in case of a hung verdict, JD(S) would play a key role in government formation.
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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.
