Congress Gains Clear Edge in India Today Axis My India Exit Polls, forecasts magic figures
Bengaluru: Following the conclusion of voting in the highly anticipated Karnataka Assembly elections on Wednesday, all attention was focused on the release of exit poll predictions after 6 pm. While the final outcome will be declared on May 13 during the vote counting process, the exit polls offered insights into the decisions made by the people of Karnataka for the next five years.
Meanwhile, the India Today-Axis My India exit poll signaled a comfortable victory for the Congress, projecting the party to secure 122-140 seats and a 43 percent vote share. This would surpass the halfway mark of 113 seats. For the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party, the exit poll predicts 62-80 seats and a vote share of 35 percent. The JD(S) is expected to win between 20-25 seats, with a vote share of 16 percent, and a 6 percent for others.
ALSO READ: Life & death: Polling day witnesses contrasting incidents in Karnataka
According to the India Today-Axis My India exit poll, the Congress is projected to secure a significant victory in various regions. In the Bombay-Karnataka region, the Congress is expected to win 28 seats, while the BJP is predicted to secure 21 seats. The Congress is also anticipated to achieve a majority in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region, securing 32 seats. In the Bangalore region, the Congress is likely to win 17 seats, whereas the BJP may secure 10 seats. In Central Karnataka, the Congress is predicted to win 12 seats, with the BJP expected to secure 10 seats. The India Today-Axis My India exit poll further indicates that the Bharatiya Janata Party is set to dominate coastal Karnataka, winning 16 out of 19 seats. Thus, the BJP is positioned to secure a majority in Coastal Karnataka, as per the India Today-Axis My India exit poll.
The state witnessed polling for 224 seats, with a voter turnout of over 65 percent recorded till 5 pm. The battle between the incumbent BJP, Congress, and JD(S) featured a total of 2,615 candidates. The election campaign concluded on Monday, May 8, with prominent campaigners such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah representing the BJP, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge advocating for the Congress, and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy addressing multiple rallies throughout the state.
“I play more than cricket here, I play chess” - DK Shivakumar
In an interview with India Today TV, Karnataka Congress supremo DK Shivakumar expressed his confidence in winning a majority in the polls and said “This is purely a local election and Modi’s name will not work here in Karnataka elections.” He emphatically stated that the Karnataka elections are solely focused on local issues and that the influence of Prime Minister Modi's name would not be effective in this context.
Shivakumar strongly criticized Modi's campaign in the state, questioning the need for such an extensive effort if the BJP was confident in their achievements and development agenda. He stressed that the people of Karnataka desire a corruption-free government and a globally recognized Karnataka, and that the Congress party is dedicated to fulfilling these aspirations.
During the interview, when asked about who the Congress's captain is, Rajdeep Sardesai, the consulting editor of the India Today Network, curiously drew a comparison to cricket and asked “ Do you watch cricket, RCB’s captain is faf-du-plesis, who is congress’s captain,” responding to which Shivakumar said “I play more than cricket here, I play chess.” Cleverly responding by saying that he engages in more than just cricket, referring to his strategic approach akin to playing chess.
Additionally, Shivakumar said that the congress is devoted to implement all its 5 guarantees vowed during the campaign and its poll manifesto.
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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.
