OTTAWA - Liberal MP Justin Trudeau is expected to announce he's running for the Liberal leadership Tuesday evening at a "partisan rally" at a community centre in his Montreal riding of Papineau.

His intention to seek the top job was a poorly guarded secret and widely reported in the media, though Trudeau has remained publicly coy about his ambitions.

His Montreal announcement will be followed by rallies in Calgary and Vancouver on Wednesday, and Toronto Thursday.

The bid comes with a hefty dose of hype.

Still, concerns have been raised that having the Trudeau name on the ballot will short-circuit a real leadership race and stop other top-name Grits from seeking the job.

There's currently only three candidates officially in the race - lawyer Deborah Coyne, Shane Geschiere and Jonathan Mousley.

A raft of Liberal MPs are also considering a bid - among them Montreal MP Marc Garneau, New Brunswick MP Dominic LeBlanc and Ottawa MP David McGuinty.

The new Liberal leader will be chosen through a preferential ballot system and the pick will be announced April 14 in Ottawa.