Rahul has already started implementing some of the proposals, such as ending the `nomination culture' in the party, enforcing strict recruitment criteria and ensuring transparency in organisational elections in the IYC and the NSUI.

The Congress might not be in a hurry to go in for hundred per cent democratisation as it was fraught with some risks, party sources said.

They said the party may approve some of the suggestions, such as elections to block, district and state Congress committees, turning the Congress from a mass- based to a cadrebased party like the CPM and the BJP ( using RSS cadre), insisting on photo identity cards for enrolling new members so as to prevent bogus membership and electing only two- term MLAs to the Rajya Sabha so as to have Upper House members who have an understanding of grassroots issues and electoral politics.

However, it may not be advisable to have elections for the Congress president's post, or for that matter electing all the highpowered CWC members.

The idea of making the Congress a cadre- based party, too, is unlikely to find favour with many party leaders.

" It is desirable, but not advisable," said a party insider, expressing the fear that a " moneybag" could manipulate polls.

A Congress leader said " the present system is okay" as the party president can give proper representation to different regions, castes and religions.

Even electing a state Congress chief was not prudent, he said, since there was no guarantee that an undesirable character would not buy votes.

The lack of organisational elections in the Congress has led to many leaders with a mass base being sidelined in the party while sycophants and managers have flourished.