Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said the process of selecting candidates for the assembly polls is being held in a democratic way and it will be completed smoothly with the list being announced after the party's central leadership finalises it on April 8.
Asked by reporters if there will be surprise candidates in the fray from the Bharatiya Janata Party, he said: "Certainly, there is a plan for new experiments in certain constituencies and they will happen."
Some seats will give a 'surprise result', he said.
"You are going to see it in the days to come. Both our workers and leaders are confident."
He also said there are clear signs of BJP getting absolute majority and coming back to power.
"Today's state election committee meeting is a continued part of the district-level core committee meeting that took place over the last couple of days; further screening would be done today and tomorrow before sending (the list of probable candidates) to the centre (central leadership). It will be sent to the centre day after tomorrow," Bommai said.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he said the list of finalised candidates will be out after the central leadership decides on it on April 8.
The Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular have already announced their first list of 124 and 93 candidates, respectively.
Stating that the party workers are excited about the ruling party's prospects, the chief minister said, looking at the developments during the last three to four months in the run-up to the election, 'there are all signs of (BJP) getting a clear majority'.
Aimed at coming back to power with a clear majority, the BJP has set a target of winning at least 150 seats in the 224 member assembly.
Noting that the process of ticket distribution is being done in a democratic way, Bommai further said: "Opinion is being gathered from local level, then district and state level, and on the basis of a complete information and ground reality, it is being done in a democratic way and I'm confident that it will go on smoothly."
Responding to a question on some leaders deserting the party ahead of polls, the CM said they will not have any impact on the BJP's prospects in the election.
"The BJP has 125 sitting MLAs, there are some aspirants there, realising that they don't have an opportunity, two or three people have quit," he said.
Karnataka goes to the polls on May 10 and counting will take place on May 13.
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Candidates' list shared on social media fake: Karnataka BJP
Meanwhile, the Karnataka BJP dismissed as 'fake' a purported list of candidates that is in circulation on social media, and alleged that it was a 'lie manufactured in the Congress factory'.
The 'fake' four-page list of candidates for 81 constituencies is in circulation on social media with the claim that it had been released by the Central Election Committee of the BJP on Tuesday after a meeting chaired by party national president J P Nadda.
However, the party issued a statement quoting its national general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Arun Singh as saying that the list is fake.
'Another lie from the Congress' factory of lies. While the process of selecting the BJP candidates is in progress, this list is a fake one,' the BJP state unit tweeted.
BJP national general secretary and Chikkamagaluru MLA C T Ravi too tweeted, 'CONgress Fake News Factory is circulating an alleged list of @BJP4Karnataka candidates on Social Media. Kannadigas know that we have not finalised our candidates for upcoming Assembly Elections. Fearing its defeat, CONgress has resorted to its usual cheap tactics against BJP (sic).'
