Sonia Gandhi to fly to the US for medical check-up

NEW DELHI: Congress President Sonia Gandhi will leave for the US in the next few days for a routine medical examination, two years after undergoing a surgery for an undisclosed ailment.

Highly-placed sources confirmed to ET that 67-year-old Gandhi’s annual health checkup is long overdue and she would be leaving for the US soon.

Gandhi had a minor health scare last week when she was rushed to AIIMS in the middle of a debate on food security in Parliament after reportedly suffering an adverse reaction to medication.

Congress sources said Gandhi was waiting for the food security bill and other important legislation, notably the land acquisition bill, to be passed before leaving for her health checkup.

Gandhi had undergone a surgery in August 2011. At that time she had entrusted the task of running the party to the top leadership.

On that occasion Rahul Gandhi, now the party’s vice-president, had taken an active role in the decision-making process, marking the first time that the Gandhi scion had assumed such a role.

Ms Gandhi had also gone abroad for a medical examination in September 2012.