India's Sonia Gandhi recovering after surgery

Aug 5, 2011, 7:25 GMT

New Delhi - India's ruling Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi was recovering after a 'successful' operation abroad for an undisclosed ailment, a party spokesman said Friday.

'Mrs Gandhi underwent surgery on August 4, 2011. The surgeon has indicated that the operation was successful,' Congress spokesman Janardhan Dwivedi said.

Gandhi, recovering under post-surgery care in the intensive care unit, is likely to be away from India for two to three weeks, Dwivedi said.

The party has not revealed Gandhi's medical condition or where she was undergoing treatment.

Indian media outlets quoting senior Congress party sources said she was being treated at New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Italian-born Gandhi, the widow of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, is considered India's most powerful politician.

Although she holds no official position, political analysts consider the 64-year-old to be the de facto head of the government.

As the party declined to give any specific information, Indian media speculated why she had opted to go abroad for treatment when India had some of the best doctors and medical facilities in the world.

'As this is a personal matter which pertains to her health and medical treatment, her family requests that her privacy be respected,' Dwivedi said.

Earlier on Thursday, the spokesman said that Gandhi had been 'recently diagnosed with a medical condition that requires surgery.'

Gandhi is away from India during what is considered a crucial time for her embattled party which is facing criticism for government corruption and inability to control inflation.

Gandhi has named a four-member group to look after party affairs in her absence which includes her son and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi, Defence Minister AK Antony, her political advisor Ahmed Patel and Dwivedi.