File photo of Rahul Gandhi with his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi is delivering his promise of holding elections to the highest decision-making bodies in Congress, even if he is doing so in absentia.
The organisational elections that Mr Gandhi has repeatedly pledged in an attempt to democratise his party, which is centred on his family, have been announced today. It's a two -month schedule for polls for all posts- right from the lower block levels and district levels to even the most powerful Congress Working Committee.
Senior leader Janardhan Dwivedi said today that the process will commence in May and should conclude in July with the election of the Congress President, a post expected to be passed on to Mr Gandhi from his mother, Sonia, who is 68.
Mr Gandhi has been missing for weeks, choosing to skip the crucial first half of Parliament's Budget Session. His party says he's on a leave of absence but has struggled to offer coordinates or a date of return.
Organisational elections are a pet project of Mr Gandhi, an objective to replicate elections he conducted in the Youth Congress five years ago. While there have been previous polls for the President's post, for instance when Jitendra Prasada took on Sonia Gandhi in 1999, elections for the 15 spots on the Congress Working Committee will take place for the first time since 1992. The party president will still be authorised to nominate another 10 members based to ensure adequate regional representation.
Will Mr Gandhi be back in time to kick off the polls? Insiders are keeping their fingers crossed.