Hubbali, May 5 (IANS): Congress workers in Karnataka's Hubbali are upbeat as former party chief Sonia Gandhi will reach the city in Saturday to campaign for former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and all other candidates in Dharwad district.

A heavy contingent of police is deployed at Hubbali as Sonia Gandhi is an SPG protectee. More than 3000 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.

Hubbali, according to Congress camp, is the only place where Gandhi is campaigning in the state for the May 10 elections.

The seriousness Congress has given to the candidature of Shettar is clear from Sonia Gandhi herself reaching Hubbali for campaigning.

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.

The Congress is expecting to wrest a few seats in Dharwad district which has been a strong bastion of the BJP.