New Delhi, August 23: Arun Jaitley’s story reflects a unique aspect of Indian politics. Despite reaching the pinnacle of power, he never won a general election. His honest and transparent image resonated with the public, yet throughout his over four-decade-long political career, he did not secure victory in any general election.
Jaitley’s exceptional leadership skills were evident during both the Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi administrations. He held significant ministries, including Finance, Law, and Defence. Historic decisions, such as the introduction of GST and the merger of the railway budget with the general budget, were made during his tenure. However, from 2000 to 2018, Jaitley’s political presence in the central government relied on his membership in the Rajya Sabha.
In 2014, Jaitly contested the Lok Sabha elections from Amritsar, replacing cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu. He faced Congress’s Amarinder Singh and suffered defeat in what turned out to be his only general election.
Born on December 28, 1952, in Delhi, Jaitley was a leader who stepped into politics with a winning mindset. The 1970s marked the rise of this dynamic leader, who entered the political arena by winning the Delhi University Students’ Union elections. As a student leader, he showcased his strong leadership by vehemently opposing Indira Gandhi during the Emergency.
On June 25, 1975, Jaitley was asleep in his Naraina Vihar home when he was awakened by noise outside. He found his father arguing with police officers who had come to arrest him. Realizing the situation, Jaitley escaped through the back door. That night, he found refuge at a friend’s house in the neighborhood. The next morning, he rallied hundreds of ABVP students in front of the Delhi University Vice-Chancellor’s office, where he delivered a speech and they collectively burned an effigy of Indira Gandhi. During this tumultuous period, Jaitley was arrested and spent 19 months in Tihar Jail.
Interestingly, he shared a cell with prominent leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani. This experience in Tihar Jail significantly benefited Jaitley’s political career.
Upon his release, Jaitley also pursued a career in law. In 1989, the V.P. Singh government appointed him as Additional Solicitor General, where he handled high-profile cases, including the Bofors scandal that contributed to Rajiv Gandhi’s electoral defeat.
As Jaitley’s political stature grew, he became a prominent name among senior BJP leaders. He joined the BJP in 1980 and became a member of its national executive in 1991.
As a spokesperson, Jaitley effectively advanced the party’s ideology and consistently outmaneuvered opponents with his solid arguments. His political career reached new heights in 1999 when he was appointed as a minister in the Vajpayee government.
He later became a Cabinet Minister, overseeing crucial ministries such as Law and Justice, Shipping, Information and Broadcasting, and Commerce and Industry. Even after the Vajpayee government, Jaitley remained a prominent voice for the party in Parliament. Notably, he was appointed as the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha in 2009.
Jaitley played a significant role in strategizing for the BJP during the 2014 elections. In the initial five years of the Modi government, he held several key responsibilities, managing the Finance Ministry, Corporate Affairs Ministry, Defence Ministry, and Information and Broadcasting Ministry at different times. There were instances when he simultaneously oversaw multiple ministries, including Defence, Finance, and Corporate Affairs.
Arun Jaitley passed away on August 24, 2019, after battling illness. He was 66 years old.
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