Karnataka BJP will face Assembly polls under collective leadership: Yediyurappa
Belagavi (KTK) (PTI): Karnataka BJP strongman B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday said 2023 assembly polls in the state will be under a "collective leadership", and that he along with other leaders will travel across to bring the party back to power.
The 79-year-old former Chief Minister even stated that he is committed to travel across the state for another 10-years, aimed at strengthening the party.
"There is no question of (me taking) leadership, under collective leadership we will travel across the state and will put in all the efforts to win the upcoming polls."
"As voters are with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, there will be no hurdles in our path towards victory. We don't have any doubts about it," Yediyurappa told reporters in response to a question.
The senior leader said he is ready to travel any time anywhere across the state.
"I will travel across the state for another 10 years and will see to it that no party worker is hurt. I will take everyone into confidence and work towards strengthening the party. This is my commitment," he added.
The "Lingayat strongman" had led the BJP become the single largest party in 2018 assembly elections and subsequently ensured it came to power in 2019, with the support of a few Congress and JD(S) MLAs who defected to his party.
He stepped down as Chief Minister in July last year, paving the way for his confidant Basavaraj Bommai to succeed him.
Hitting out at Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah, Yediyurappa said, the Congress leader is speaking lightly about RSS and BJP leaders as he is desperate, after getting to know about Congress's "defeat" in the upcoming elections.
"He (Siddaramaiah) is speaking indiscriminately, as he is desperate. He is speaking lightly about others as he is sure about his party's defeat", Yediyurappa said.
"Speaking lightly about RSS and others has become an obsession for him; it will in no way benefit him. In fact he is belittling his position as Leader of Opposition and former CM, by his statements," he said.
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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.
