Third legislator joins Congress in a month in poll-bound Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): Former JD(S) MLA S R Srinivas (Gubbi Srinivas alias Vasu) on Thursday became the third legislator to resign from the post, and join Congress, this month, ahead of May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka.
According to the Congress, 37 leaders associated with JD(S) in the 2018 Assembly polls, have joined the party so far, in the run up to the upcoming elections.
Srinivas, a former Minister had resigned as MLA on March 27, while two MLCs from BJP Puttanna and Baburao Chinchansur had resigned from their Legislative Council membership earlier this month to join the Congress.
Puttanna has been fielded from Rajajinagar Assembly segment by the Congress in its first list, and there are indications that the party might field Chinchansur and Srinivas too from Gurmitkal and Gubbi segments respectively.
Inducting Srinivas, a four time MLA and former Minister,and his supporters into the party, KPCC President D K Shivakumar said, "I had been trying to get Vasu (Srinivas) to Congress for a long time, but now looking at the mood of the people he has decided to join the party...His joining will not only strengthen the party in Tumakuru, but the entire Old Mysuru region."
Noting that about 37 leaders, who were associated with JD(S) in the last assembly polls have joined the party so far -- also two BJP MLCs Puttanna and Baburao Chinchansur, among several others, Shivakumar claimed, there is a "long list of people" wishing to join the Congress and it will be made known in stages, in the days to come.
Srinivas said he was returning to his "own house", recalling his and his father's earlier association with the Congress.
"I had no intention to leave JD(S) but was forced to. In October, 2021 Kumaraswamy announced a JD(S) candidate from my seat even as I was still in the party. He also made certain false allegations against me, like holding me responsible for Deve Gowda's defeat in 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Tumakuru.
I had never done such anti-party activity and had honestly served the party," he said.
He claimed that he too was thrown out of JD(S) for no fault of his, like it was done to Siddaramaiah by the regional party in the past.
Welcoming Srinivas, former CM Siddaramaiah said, it is "Ghar Vapsi" for him.
He said, "In JD(S) you will have to go by what HD Deve Gowda (party patriarch) and H D Kumaraswamy (leader and former CM) say, what is decided in the family is final, there is no freedom of expression there, and if anyone violates it, if anyone expresses their opinion in the party against their will, they can't stay in the party. Same thing happened to me and now to Vasu."
Averring that several people are joining Congress because, the party alone can "save the state from BJP's corruption" and set right the system, Siddaramaiah said, JD(S) cannot come to power on its own; they wait for a fractured verdict. "Congress alone can come to power in the state, and save it from BJP."
Meanwhile, BJP leader Mudigere in Chikkamagaluru district, Halappa, who was a former Pura Sabha and Housing Board President, joined the Congress.
He had quit the Congress when former Chief Minister S M Krishna joined the BJP in 2017.
Another BJP leader from Mandya, Satyananda too joined the party.
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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.
