Sonia Gandhi recovering after successful Thursday surgery

Congress president Sonia Gandhi is recovering in an intensive care unit of a hospital abroad after undergoing successful surgery for an undisclosed ailment on Thursday. Aurangzeb Naqshbandi reports.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi is recovering in an intensive care unit of a hospital abroad after undergoing successful surgery for an undisclosed ailment on Thursday.

HT Image

Though the party released her health bulletin on Friday, it continued to remain tightlipped about the nature of the surgical procedure and the country where she is hospitalised in. Unconfirmed reports said Sonia Gandhi, 64, is in the US.

The bulletin released by Congress media department chief Janardan Dwivedi reiterated the party’s appeal that her privacy be respected.

“As this is a personal matter that pertains to her health and medical treatment, her family requests that her privacy be respected,” he said.

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, one of the four leaders entrusted to look after party affairs in Sonia's absence, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her husband Robert Vadra are with the Congress president.

The bulletin also said Sonia underwent surgery on August 4 and that “the surgeon indicated that the operation was successful”.

Though Dwivedi's statement on Thursday said Sonia would be away for 2-3 weeks, top party sources told HT that she would be out of action for about a month-and-a-half in order to recuperate fully.

Congress sources said Rahul would return soon after doctors attending on Sonia declare her condition stable.

It is only after Rahul’s return that the four-member committee is expected to meet. The Congress core group, which looks after government and party affairs and meets every week, did not hold any meeting on Friday.