Bengaluru (ANI): Karnataka chief minister Basavraj Bommmai on Wednesday exuded confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party would secure an absolute majority and return to power after the assembly elections to be held on May 10.

“I am confident that BJP will come to power with an absolute majority,” CM Bommai told reporters on Wednesday.

The candidates for 189 constituencies have been announced and they are confident of coming back to power with an absolute majority, said CM Bommai.

He said that the selection of candidates has been welcomed in almost all the constituencies and the work of talking with the dissatisfied leaders is on. “He had already spoken to the MLC Lakshman Savadi, who was denied a party ticket and asked him not to take any hasty decision,” they said.

“I have an emotional bond with Savadi and am in constant touch with him. The party stood by him in a difficult time and will continue to help him. A good decision will be taken to protect his honour. He has a bright future.”

Meanwhile, supporters of sitting BJP MLA from Belagavi North, Anil Benake staged a protest on Tuesday evening after he was denied a ticket in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections.

Further, supporters of BJP MLA Mahadevappa Yadawad protested in the Ramdurg constituency in Belagavi over the ticket being denied to him. Chikka Revana who joined the BJP recently got the ticket from the constituency.

BJP on Tuesday released the first list of candidates for 189 seats out of 224 seats for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections with 52 new candidates getting tickets.

Nomination filing for the state assembly elections will begin on Thursday, April 13.

In this list, tickets have been given to Lingayat-51, Vokkalinga-41, Kurba-7, SC-30, ST-16 and 32 from the OBC community.

The Karnataka assembly elections will be held in a single phase on May 10, with the counting of votes scheduled on May 13.