Anita Katyal | Priyanka comes into her own; Vaishnaw debut underwhelming Published Jul 25, 2021, 12:33 am IST Updated Jul 25, 2021, 12:33 am IST It is Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who pitched for Sidhu’s appointment as Punjab Congress chief Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. (PTI Photo) When Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joined politics in early 2019, she confined herself to the handling of Uttar Pradesh affairs to ensure she did not overshadow her brother Rahul Gandhi. But three years on, the third Gandhi has emerged as another power centre and the party’s chief troubleshooter. This was evident recently when the Congress Central leadership was engaged in resolving the face-off between Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh and his bete noire Navjot Singh Sidhu. It is Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who pitched for Sidhu’s appointment as Punjab Congress chief, ignoring the objections raised by the chief minister. Again, it was Priyanka who called up Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal on Sunday night and asked him to issue the press release announcing Sidhu’s appointment immediately though it was earlier scheduled to be put out the next day. The announcement was rushed following reports of a show of strength being planned by Amarinder Singh. However, Priyanka’s open partisanship towards Sidhu did not go down well with many Congress leaders who privately admit they are unhappy at the treatment meted out to a senior leader like Amarinder Singh. They feel she should have displayed greater political maturity in handling the situation.