Washington - Democratic Party presidential nominee Barack Obama has decided to drop campaigning for two days later this week for a previously unplanned visit to his ailing grandmother in Hawaii, campaign officials announced late Monday.

Obama, who lead rallies Monday in Florida, will continue his scheduled events through Thursday afternoon, when he will fly to Hawaii to visit Madelyn Dunham, 85.

Obama, 47, a US senator from Illinois, was partly raised by his maternal grandmother. He has spoken often during the campaign of her influence on him and his respect for the sacrifices that his mother and grandparents made for him.

In Florida, Obama communications director Robert Gibbs said that the candidate will scuttle political events in Iowa and Wisconsin to visit Dunham, who has been ill and suffered deteriorating health in recent weeks. Obama plans to resume campaigning on Saturday. (dpa)