Sonia Gandhi shifts out of Delhi to avoid air pollution for now, reaches Jaipur
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi spent some time in Goa in 2020 to avoid the heavy pollution and poor air quality in Delhi that aggravated her chest infection
NEW DELHI: Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi shifted to Jaipur for the next few days to avoid the severe pollution in Delhi on the advice of her doctor and family members, people familiar with the matter said.
Gandhi, who was accompanied by her son Rahul Gandhi, reached Jaipur late on Tuesday evening. A Congress spokesperson said Sonia Gandhi was expected to stay in Rajasthan for four to five days.
Rahul Gandhi will leave for Delhi on Wednesday morning before heading for poll-bound Chhattisgarh on Wednesday. He will return on November 16 for election rallies in Rajasthan, the spokesperson said.
AICC general secretary, organisation, KC Venugopal, who travelled with the Gandhis on Tuesday, said: “She has come to Jaipur due to air pollution in Delhi.”
A senior party leader said the former Congress president’s Jaipur visit “will strictly be a personal one”.
“This is not the first time she left Delhi to avoid pollution. She has asthma-related issues and tries to avoid pollution. In 2020, Gandhi went to Goa for weeks when there was severe pollution in Delhi,” said a leader.
She decided to shift to Rajasthan against the backdrop of a drop in the air quality in the national Capital. The 24-hour average air quality index on Tuesday stood at 397 as compared to 358 on Monday and 218 on Sunday. The comparative AQI figure for Jaipur on Tuesday was 264.
Party leaders said it was unlikely that the veteran leader would actively participate in the Rajasthan election campaign, said the first leader. Over the past few years, she has drastically cut down on poll campaigns but has remained a key figure in strategising for the party.
Gandhi, who has represented Rae Bareli in the Lok Sabha since 2004, is the only Congress MP from Uttar Pradesh.
