The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) put up a jubilant front as its leader BS Yeddyurappa took oath as the chief minister of Karnataka on Thursday for the third time.

This was a day after governor Vajubhai Vala invited the BJP to form the government in the state. Soon after assuming office, Yeddyurappa ordered for the removal of police security from Eagleton Resort, where the winning Congress MLAs were ensconced, and a flurry of transfers at the top-most level in the state bureaucracy.

According to media reports, the superintendent of police (SP) of Chikkamagaluru, Annamalai, was transferred to Ramanagara as the new SP. Eagleton Resort falls within the jurisdiction of the Ramanagara SP.

A panicky Congress tried to ferry its MLAs to Kerala in three chartered flights, but air traffic control reportedly denied them permissions to fly. Late night the Congress party was reportedly arranging buses to ferry the MLAs but the destination was secret. Some Congress MLAs alleged that they were being threatened by the BJP.

Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy said that after police were withdrawn from Eagleton Resort, BJP workers entered the resort, and tried to poach their MLAs by offering them money.

The MLAs alleged that they have been receiving calls as well. AICC social media head Divya Spandana also tweeted, saying, “Spoke to a Karnataka Congress MLA’s wife and daughter, it was heartbreaking to hear the daughter cry and say she fears for her fathers life. One feels so helpless when politics comes to this.”

Kerala’s tourism minister Kadakampally, on the other hand, welcomed Congress MLAs to his state. Heard news from different sources that the elected representatives of Karnataka are travelling to Kerala. As the tourism minister of the state, we are happy to welcome them and aid them, there wont be any trouble of horse traders here! he said in a tweet.

Earlier, Congress leaders led by Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ashok Gehlot, Siddaramaiah and G Parmeshwar sat on a dharna at the Gandhi statue in Vidhan Sauda, calling it a black day for democracy.

As the new chief minister entered the Karnataka Vidhan Sauda he bowed down and touched the floor in trademark Modi style. The PM had done so when he entered Parliament for the first time.