Congress Plan To Fly Out Karnataka Lawmakers Fails

As the Congress tried to fly its lawmakers out of Karnataka fearing defection to the BJP, three chartered flights were denied permission to take off from Bengaluru this evening, sources in the aviation watchdog DGCA said. The reason being given, sources said, is that permission was not sought earlier and it was too late now for small planes to fly. The Congress lawmakers, who have been camped at the Eagleton resort in Bengaluru since yesterday, are now being moved out of the state in a bus. BS Yeddyurappa, who took oath as chief minister today, said he will prove his majority in the assembly in less than 15 days, but his party, the BJP, is still seven short of majority. The Congress and the JDS had gone to the Supreme Court last night to challenge the Governor's decision to invite the BJP to form government. The court, which allowed the oath ceremony for now, will hear the case again tomorrow.