Brasilia, May 8 (IANS): Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva launched his campaign for the presidency alongside his proposed Vice President, former Sao Paulo Governor Geraldo Alckmin.

Lula announced his candidacy and unveiled the seven-party alliance, Let's Go Together for Brazil Movement, to a crowd of about 4,000 people here, reports Xinhua news agency.

"It is more than urgent to restore the sovereignty of Brazil," he said during his speech at the rally.

Lula added that if he wins the elections scheduled for October 2, he will work "again on the mission to combat hunger".

The 76-year-old has run for president several times before: he was defeated three times before triumphs in 2002 and 2006.

In 2018, he ran for a sixth time but was disqualified a month before the election after conviction of corruption, a charge ultimately overturned by the Federal Supreme Court in 2021.

Lula said during the rally that his proposed foreign policy would be "active", reinforcing regional blocs and pushing to "modify world governance", with an emphasis on the need to strengthen BRICS, which groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

He added that his government program includes the defense of public companies and banks, while maintaining that the driver of development should be the state oil company Petrobras.

Incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro, of the Liberal Party, has expressed his intention to stand for re-election.