New Delhi: Behind the craftily managed and organised plenary session of the Congress, which showcased Rahul Gandhi in a rare form, is the hidden hand of Priyanka Vadra all the way. From choosing the venue to the look, the feel and even managing the mosquito problem, Priyanka Vadra was hands-on at this two-day mega show.

A top party source said, “She pulled us up for some of the empty chairs and she ordered us to get more people for the second day.”

Not just this, when many delegates, including Sonia Gandhi, complained about the mosquitoes at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Priyanka came down late night and stayed for over two hours to supervise the fumigation process.

Priyanka also decided on the list of speakers and order of speeches. It was again her idea that Rahul Gandhi be the sole speaker on stage and the Congress logo is all that should be seen behind him. This two-day plenary session sent out a powerful message by doing away with the traditional 'gaddas' (mattresses), which has been the seating style for the Congress leaders at this event for over the years.

‘Change is Now’ is the slogan of the plenary and in keeping with this, all delegates were made to sit below the stage.

Priyanka has always denied any political ambitions and when asked, she made it clear that it’s her brother and not her, who will be the face of the party. But Priyanka’s role in party affairs is an open secret. It was Priyanka who played a key role in forging the alliance with Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. She even monitored the Gujarat Assembly election campaign.

On the contrary, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sindhu was the only one to openly admit to her active role in the party when he said that he had met her once and decided to join the Congress.

As the battle for the 2019 General Elections heats up, Priyanka's hidden hand is sure to become more obvious.