Sonia Gandhi To Travel Abroad for Medical Check-Up; Rahul, Priyanka To Accompany

The Congress president will also visit her ailing mother before she returns to New Delhi.

Rahul Gandhi will address the Congress' 'Mehangai Par Halla Bol' rally on 4 September 2022.

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Sonia Gandhi)

Congress president Sonia Gandhi will travel abroad for health reasons, and Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will accompany her, the party said on Tuesday, 23 August.

"Congress President Sonia Gandhi will be travelling abroad for medical check-ups. She will also visit her ailing mother before she returns to New Delhi," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a statement.

The party has not disclosed any specifics concerning the visit yet, however, Ramesh indicated that Rahul Gandhi will address the Congress' 'Mehangai Par Halla Bol' rally in New Delhi on 4 September.

Sonia Gandhi had tested positive for COVID-19 on 13 August, for a second time. She had earlier tested positive for the virus in June, for which she was admitted to the emergency department of Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi.

The senior leader also has a history of chest infections and asthma.

The foreign visit also comes amid the party's preparations for its 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, which is scheduled to start on 7 September.

The party is set to kick off its presidential polls soon, the schedule for which is expected to be out this week.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday, 22 August, said that the Congress party is "unanimously" in favour of Rahul Gandhi taking up the post of party president.

"If Rahul Gandhi does not become the party president, it will be a disappointment for the Congressmen in the country. Many people will sit at home and we will suffer. He should accept this post by himself, understanding the sentiments of the common Congress people in the country," Gehlot told reporters.