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Ailing India's opposition leader Sonia Gandhi admitted to army hospital

Xinhua, August 3, 2016 Adjust font size:

India's main opposition leader and president of Congress party Sonia Gandhi who was taken ill has been admitted at the Army's research and referral hospital in New Delhi, her party officials said Wednesday.

Gandhi complained of uneasiness during the road show on Tuesday evening at Varanasi, about 319 km southeast of Lucknow city, the capital of Uttar Pradesh.

The 69-year-old leader cut short a political rally due to high fever and returned in a chartered flight late Tuesday night to New Delhi, where she was taken to the Army's research and referral hospital for treatment.

"The party president's condition is stable after she suffered a bout of dehydration and fever in Varanasi," a senior Congress party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told media.

Gandhi was in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi to launch party's campaign for local elections in the state scheduled to be held next year. Varanasi is the constituency of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During 2014 India's general elections Modi was was elected from Varanasi.

Gandhi pulled a huge crowd mostly her party supporters throughout the day and switched several times between the SUV car and a closed Tata Safari vehicle. Eyewitness said thousands of people had gathered to watch Gandhi as her cavalcade of cars drove slowly through the streets of city.

The Italian-born Gandhi is widow of slain former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. After his death, she entered politics and led the Congress party to two successive victories in 2004 and 2009 general elections. However, Congress party lost power to Modi's rightwing Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) in 2014.

Modi has wished Gandhi speedy recovery and health.

"Heard about Sonia ji's ill health during her Varanasi visit today. I pray for her quick recovery and good health," Modi wrote on twitter on Tuesday evening.

Reports said Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Congress's chief ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh Sheila Dikshit, who accompanied Sonia Gandhi on the road show and inquired about her health.

Media reports said Congress party avoids giving information about Gandhi's health, despite her enormous influence. In 2011 she flew to the U.S. for a surgery. Since then she has been visiting the U.S. for regular checkups.

Last month, the Congress party launched its campaign by placing Dikshit on a bus headed from New Delhi to Kanpur. However, 78-year-old Dikshit fell ill and was forced to return home. Endit