Karnataka gears up for first voter roll revision in 23 years, EC to launch drive by Sept 25
Bengaluru: After more than two decades, Karnataka is set to undergo a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of its electoral rolls, with the Election Commission (EC) preparing to launch the drive by September 25, Deccan Herald reported on Thursday, citing sources.
The last SIR in the state was carried out in 2002. At the time, Karnataka had approximately 3.5 crore registered voters. That number is now estimated to have grown to around 5.5 crore.
The EC will notify the exact dates for the exercise, which has to be completed within three months once the notification is out.
The revision will be carried out in five phases, which include a crucial period for the hearing of claims and objections. According to the report, once Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) download pre-filled enrolment forms, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct door-to-door visits, distributing two copies of the forms to households.
During this exercise, all proceedings related to Forms 6 (new voters), Forms 7 (objections), and Form 8 (corrections) will be frozen. One copy of the enrolment form will be retained by the BLO, while the other, with an official acknowledgment, will remain with the applicant. Citizens will also have the option to complete the process digitally via the BLO App or the ECI Net portal.
The EC has reportedly held discussions with political parties and has sought their cooperation. Booth Level Agents (BLAs) from political parties, along with volunteers, will also be involved in the process.
EC sources reportedly said the principle behind the exercise is that “no eligible voter is left out, while no ineligible voter is included”.
However, concerns have been raised over documentation, particularly for senior citizens who may not possess all the required papers. In such cases, the matter will be escalated to the Electoral Registration Officer, with the District Electoral Officer (DEO) holding the final authority on inclusion decisions.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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
===================
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.
