NEW DELHI: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has been busy conducting interviews to induct promising young talent in Team Rahul and spearhead the party’s revival in states. Like all Gandhi’s experiments, this one also requires meticulous tabulation – every candidate has given his public service record and a two-page essay on how the party can rejuvenate itself.Over the past two months, the Nehru-Gandhi scion interviewed about 200 candidates before leaving for his New Year vacation. Even as Gandhi has kept everybody guessing about the timing of his elevation, the next in line for leading the Congress appears to have built bridges with the old guard in the party. So much so that many of the candidates he has interviewed were recommended by the senior leaders who were said to be opposed to him being named party chief, the people said on condition of anonymity. “These leaders will form the core of Team Rahul. About 20 leaders will be part of the central leadership and another handful will replace the current leadership in the states,” said one of the people.Like most of Gandhi’s exercises in the party, the interviews too involved maintaining a detailed dossier on each candidate. The dossier includes resumes, with the candidates giving a detailed account of their public activities such as padayatras and agitations.The interviews were preceded by a two-page essay that each candidate was required to write, on how to revive the Congress nationally, how to rejuvenate the state unit and how he or she is qualified to lead the initiative. During the interview, Gandhi spent time analysing whether the candidates are equipped to implement the vision shared in their essays, another person said.Gandhi has also conducted a similar exercise with Congress Pradesh Committees, asking all state chiefs to give their vision on how the Grand Old Party could reinvent itself.Sources in the party said that state units including Chhattisgarh, MP, TN, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Rajasthan, have submitted briefs.With Gandhi turning more proactive, his mother and party president Sonia Gandhi is gradually passing on more responsibilities to him, party members said. She has started referring senior leaders to him and cut down on her engagements, they said, partly due to her health. “She is giving only two-three appointments in a day. Usually she has two appointments in the morning and one post lunch. Most of the party matters are being decided by Rahul,” said a party member. “She has cut short some meetings with leaders saying, ‘Why are you here for this? You should see Rahul. I want you to see him and discuss this. He will learn from your inputs.’,” the member said.