As former Congress president Sonia Gandhi is reaching Hubbali on Saturday to campaign for former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, a strong message is being sent across the Lingayat community that the Congress party is serious to wrest the seat for Shettar and other candidates in Dharwad district.
A heavy contingent of police is deployed at Hubbali as Sonia Gandhi is an SPG protectee. More than 3,000 policemen are deployed at various points in Hubbali and the ground where she will speak is taken over by the SPG.
According to Congress leadership, Gandhi will speak at the Young Stars Sports Ground in Hubbali at 5 p.m. on Saturday. Congress President Mallkiarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and other senior Congress leaders will be present at the rally.
Congress candidates in all the seven constituencies of Dharwad will also participate in the campaign as Hubbali, according to Congress camp, is the only place where Sonia Gandhi is campaigning in the state for the May 10 elections.
Talking to IANS, local Congress leader Ismail Sait said: "Jagadish Shettar was a secular leader even when he was in the BJP and the presence of former Congress President, Sonia Gandhi for the election campaign is an important gesture on how Congress treats Jagadish Shettar."
He also said that the Muslim community would vote in totality for Shettar, who shifted from BJP after denied a ticket despite being a former CM of the state and a veteran of the ruling party for several decades.
The Congress is expecting to wrest a few seats in Dharwad district which has been a strong bastion of the BJP.
(With inputs from IANS)
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