Paceman’s instinct in politics

ARUN JAITLEY Union minister for finance and corporate affairs

As a medium-pace bowler in his school days, the team would depend on Arun Jaitley to demolish the batting lineups of rival teams with inswingers and short-of-length deliveries.

Jaitley brought that paceman’s instinct to student politics at Delhi University, and then to the courtrooms of the Capital as a top lawyer. The sharp and witty Jaitley has often left rivals ducking for cover over his career as a BJP spokesman, party general secretary, parliamentarian and minister.

Jaitley, 64, wears many hats. While serving as president of the Delhi University Students’ Union in 1974, he earned the reputation of being an astute organiser with an eye for spotting talent. Sent to jail during the Emergency, he came out to become convener of the Loktantrik Yuva Morcha which campaigned for the Janta Party and was instrumental in the Congress’s first defeat in the 1977 general elections.

Jaitley is a key strategist for the BJP, the “go-to man” in the government, and as finance minister, the spearhead of the NDA government’s two important reforms – Goods and Services Tax (GST) and bankruptcy code.

Jaitley loves food, watches and shawls. A warm host, he can be spotted treating friends to Delhi’s signature delicacies (chhole bhature at Kwality restaurant and dal meat at Embassy, to name just two). In his free time, Jaitley likes to tune in to old Hindi film songs.