NEW DELHI: The time has come for Rahul Gandhi to take full charge of Congress as its handson leader while Sonia Gandhi can continue to mentor the party, AICC General Secretary Digvijaya Singh told ET in an exclusive interaction on Friday. "Rahulji should take charge as the president of Congress at the earliest and must embark on a Bharat Yatra as a mass-contact programme across the country," Singh said, adding that Sonia could remain the chairperson of United Progressive Alliance.Apart from Singh, senior party leaders including Ahmed Patel, AK Antony, P Chidambaram, Ambika Soni, Ashok Gehlot, Sheila Dikshit , Veerappa Moily, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge, Oscar Fernandes and Mukul Wasnik have had discussions with Rahul in the past few weeks and days. Many of these leaders told ET separately that they have conveyed to Rahul that it’s time he took over as the party chief There is a palpable sense of expectation, and even confidence, among some influential Congress leaders that Rahul, long seen as a "reluctant heir", "is now ready" to take charge and lead from the front after the party’s crushing defeat in the general elections. Many feel the "earlier" Rahul takes charge, "the better", as it will put an end to the lingering doubts/confusions about his plans besides giving the party the much-needed sense of direction.Speaking to ET at his Lodhi Estate residence, Singh also said Rahul is the chosen one to lead Congress. "There is no one in the party who will challenge Rahulji’s leadership," he said.On the possibility of a rejig in the party’s top leadership, Singh said, "Once he takes charge, he may do that. It is up to him." After taking charge, Rahul should immediately re-assess the socio-economic policy of Congress, Singh said, adding that he must also focus on holding a transparent drive for party membership, and organisational elections by putting an end to bogus practices.Ever since Rahul Gandhi became AICC general secretary in 2005, and later the vice-president in 2013, he has been carrying out his own "experiments and reforms" within the organization.He started with the Youth Congress and NSUI and has now turned his attention to the main party. There have been reports of some of Rahul’s "innovative ideas" conflicting with the approach of "traditional leaders, especially the old guard ".