SONIA Gandhi, the head of India’s ruling Congress party, has gone abroad for a “regular check-up” after undergoing surgery for an undisclosed condition last year, a party official said on Saturday (August 31).
Italian-born Gandhi, 65, the widow of assassinated former premier Rajiv Gandhi and widely seen as India’s most powerful politician, holds the key power-broking position of president of the party.
“You may recall in February 2012 that the president had gone abroad for a regular checkup,” Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters.
“She has travelled abroad this afternoon again for a regular check-up and will be back after a week,” he added.
He did not disclose where she had gone. The last time she went overseas for a check-up she travelled to the US.
Gandhi’s departure comes at a critical time as the Congress-led government is embroiled in a crisis over allegations that it gave away billions of dollars in coal mining rights.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other opposition parties have blocked parliamentary proceedings for over a week, demanding Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s resignation over the coalfield allocations.
The condition that led to Gandhi’s surgery last year – and kept her out of the country for five weeks – has never been revealed.
Right up to her departure, Gandhi was vigorously seeking to end the parliamentary logjam, holding a strategy session with Dr Singh and speaking to BJP leader Sushma Swaraj.
Gandhi is widely seen as preparing the ground for her only son, 42-year-old Rahul, to take over after Dr Singh steps down.
The Nehru-Gandhi dynasty has ruled India for most of its post-independence history, with three members of the family becoming prime minister.
