CM Bommai discusses with Shah over phone list of likely candidates for RS, Legislative Council polls
New Delhi(PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said he discussed with Union Home Minister Amit Shah over phone the list of probable candidates for Rajya Sabha seats from the state and for the Legislative Council.
Bommai, who is in the national capital for the second time in less than 10 days, also said he had a detailed discussion on the list of candidates with the party's in-charge for Karnataka Arun Singh.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Singh, the Karnataka chief minister said he could have a word with Shah over phone only last night due to the home minister's urgent engagement and that an elaborate meeting with Singh today was held on Shah's advice.
"I came to Delhi yesterday evening. I had plans to meet Amit Shah ji. Due to his urgent engagement, I could talk to him over the phone only last night. I discussed in detail and shared with him the list of probable candidates for Rajya Sabha seats from the state and for the Legislative Council polls," he said.
The chief minister said he met Singh and updated him about the decision taken during the party's core committee meeting. "Singh has conveyed he will soon finalise the list," he added.
The chief minister also said there was no discussion, either with Shah or with Singh, on his government's cabinet expansion or reshuffle. Meanwhile, Bommai also mentioned that he will review the heavy rain situation in the state after he returns to Bengaluru today.
Biennial elections to four Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka and two each to graduates' and teachers' constituencies of the state Legislative Council will be held on June 10 and 13 respectively.
Biennial elections to the Karnataka Legislative Council will be held on June 3.
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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.
