If ED's control given to Sena, even Fadnavis will vote for us: Sanjay Raut
Mumbai(PTI): Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday said if the control of the Enforcement Directorate is given to their party, then even BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis will vote for the Sena.
His reaction comes in the backdrop of Shiv Sena candidate Sanjay Pawar losing the sixth seat in the Rajya Sabha polls from Maharashtra held on Friday, a contest which had become a high-prestige battle between the ruling Sena and the opposition BJP in the state.
Fadnavis, the leader of opposition in the state Assembly, is credited for the BJP's victory on the sixth seat, won by party nominee Dhananjay Mahadik by defeating Shiv Sena's Sanjay Pawar.
Prior to the polls, Raut had alleged that the BJP was using central agencies to put pressure on independents and smaller parties to vote in favour of the BJP candidates.
The independents and smaller parties, some of whom had pledged support to the Sena, played a crucial role in the BJP's victory.
Talking to reporters on Sunday, Raut said, "If the ED's control is given to us for two days, then Devendra Fadnavis too will vote for us."
The Shiv Sena's chief spokesperson had on Saturday described BJP's victory on three Rajya Sabha seats in Maharashtra as the "mandate of horse-trading". He had also accused the Election Commission (EC) of siding with the opposition party, which he claimed "put pressure" on the poll panel.
Some horses were up for sale at a higher price and shifted sides despite assurance of their votes to our candidate, he had said.
When asked about these comments, Raut on Sunday said, We only expressed our feelings. They (those who did not vote for the Sena) as well the BJP are aware of what we are saying.
Raut had earlier said three MLAs of the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA), an independent MLA from Karmala Sanjaymama Shinde, Swabhimani Paksha MLA Devendra Bhuyar and PWP MLA Shyamsunder Shinde did not vote for the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA-comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress), despite assuring to do so.
The Sena leader said they had taken note of this development and that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was distressed over the defeat of Sanjay Pawar.
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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.
