New Delhi, Aug. 18: Rahul Gandhi today ordered elections in the Youth Congress and the NSUI, eight months after asserting that he believed in democracy “by instinct and education”.

The exercise will be the first in the Youth Congress’s 58-year history and in 27 years for the National Students Union of India. As a Congress general secretary, Rahul oversees both.

A fellow general secretary dubbed the move a “reflection of Rahul’s vision of a new Congress”, saying it was aimed at “loosening” the iron-like structures of the two bodies to ensure “vested interests” didn’t kill democracy.

Office-bearers from block to national levels will be elected directly by the members through a process Rahul hoped would eliminate foul play and nepotism.

In a presentation on prototypes of his “ideal” youth and student organisations made before party general secretaries today, Rahul said aspirants shouldn’t be given the four-day campaign time the Congress allowed in its poll rules.

Instead, all formalities — nomination, gathering voters and polling — should be over the same day, Rahul said, adding that this would ensure nominees didn’t “unfairly” canvass support. It would also help observers keep a close eye on them, Rahul said.

The first elections to the Youth Congress and the NSUI will be conducted in Punjab and Uttarakhand. Central representatives present at the polls will submit a report to iron out the glitches.

Rahul proposed raising battalions of “aam aadmi sipahis”, drawn from the two bodies, to monitor the Centre’s flagship schemes, especially in non-Congress ruled states.

“It is meant to be a bridge between the organisation and people,” a Congress leader said. Each panchayat is expected to contribute at least three “sipahis”. The target is to cover a third of each district.