Reports: Gandhi May Soon Return to India

Posted September 6th, 2011 at 4:55 am (UTC-5)
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One of India's most powerful politicians may soon return home after undergoing surgery in the United States for an undisclosed illness.

Local media reports say that Sonia Gandhi, the 64-year-old president of India's ruling Congress party, could return as early as Tuesday.

Party officials announced on August 4 that Gandhi had undergone a successful operation in the U.S., though they declined to give any other information about her condition.

Gandhi appointed a four-member group to run the political party in her absence. The group included her son Rahul, who is widely seen as a future prime minister.

Born in Italy, Gandhi is the leading figure of a family which has ruled India for most of the period since it won independence from Britain.

She is the widow of assassinated former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Her mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi, had also been assassinated while serving as prime minister, in 1984. And Indira Gandhi's father, Jawaharlal Nehru, was India's first premier.

The Nehru-Gandhi dynasty is not related to independence leader Mahatma Gandhi.