ongress president and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi left on Saturday for Europe and the United States for what is being described as "routine medical check up". Sonia Gandhi, who was originally supposed to leave on Friday night, postponed her departure in order to meet NSUI leaders from Punjab, who won the Panjab University students' elections. She is expected back in the country before 17 September. Sources said that she had already cleared one third of the tickets for Haryana where Assembly elections are due in mid October.

The Congress president has entrusted the task of finalising the tickets for the remaining states to party vice president and her son Rahul Gandhi. Members of Rahul's core team have been meeting ticket aspirants in Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir to prepare the final list. Senior party functionaries including Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel have been instructed to be available for their counsel as and when it is needed.

Sonia Gandhi is to meet her doctors in New York to enable them to monitor the progress of her recovery from a surgery performed a few years ago. She had undergone a biopsy, which after tests was declared to be benign. Though the nature of her exact ailment has never been officially disclosed, doctors attending on her in Delhi's Gangaram Hospital had earlier indicated that she was investigated for a cancerous form. Sonia Gandhi also suffers from respiratory disease and has undergone treatment for breathlessness and asthma in the past. She has been on steroids and other medication for her illness.

Sources said that after the completion of tests and diagnosis by doctors, she will spend some time with her mother and sisters in Italy. However, she will continue to monitor political activities in the Congress and will be apprised of the latest developments by her family and close aides.