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Arun Jaitley, served as BJP’s troubleshooter in multiple arenas
Arun Jaitley was the darling of the media, and redefined the way the BJP engaged with television channels and newspapers by grooming a generation of spokespersons and leaders who now occupy high offices in the Narendra Modi government.
Throughout his life, Arun Jaitley wore many hats: Activist, lawyer, politician, cricket administrator, minister and a friend.
The affable Delhi-born leader rose through the ranks of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) effortlessly, played the role of a troubleshooter for his organisation in the courtroom, parliament and political battlefield.
He was one of the most modern, suave and English-speaking faces of a party that struggled for years to shed the image of being an orthodox outfit.
Jaitley was the darling of the media, and redefined the way the BJP engaged with television channels and newspapers by grooming a generation of spokespersons and leaders who now occupy high offices in the Narendra Modi government.
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As chief spokesperson of the party, he was always at the forefront to distill the BJP’s position on critical matters in a form that rest of the party could easily pass on to the masses.
His official residence on Ashoka Road was the party’s ‘media war room’ for years. Party spokespersons would visit his bungalow, where he never lived during the years it was allotted to him, for strategy meetings and Jaitley would articulate to them - over a cup of jasmine tea – the BJP’s response for television debates.
Jaitley, who used to live in his Kailash Colony bungalow, would visit the Ashoka road house every afternoon after finishing his work in court, to meet party leaders and for strategy meetings.
He earned the reputation of a leader with a Midas touch after winning the BJP crucial elections between 2004 and 2014 in states where he was the in-charge, such as Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka.
In 2005, Jaitley convinced the BJP to accept Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar as the chief ministerial face of the coalition. On every visit to Delhi, Jaitley won’t forget to treat Kumar to his favourite spongy rasgullas from Gopala, a famous shop in the Capital. On his every visit to Patna, Jaitley would carry them for Kumar.
He was a friend to Narendra Modi since the latter’s days as the general secretary (organisation) of the BJP. Jaitley introduced Modi to “Lutyens’ Delhi” and remained a strong backer during his days as Gujarat chief minister.
It was the support from Jaitley that helped Modi’s anointment as the chief of the BJP’s campaign committee at the party’s executive meeting in Goa in 2013.
The decision saw Kumar revolting against the BJP and walking out of the NDA. Still, Jaitley managed to have a warm relationship with both.
In the 10 years that the BJP was out of power after 2004, Jaitley was the go-to man for the party, and even for many Congress leaders who would invariably land up at his parliament complex office to seek helps for their bills. Jaitley wouldn’t return them disappointed most of the time.
At times, he was firm too.
When some leaders in the BJP developed cold feet on questioning land deals made by Robert Vadra, husband of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jaitley was pained.
He decided to resign from the post of the leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. It took a timely and firm intervention by SS Ahluwalia, then deputy leader in the Upper House, to save the BJP from an embarrassment.
Another issue on which Jaitley put his foot down was over the appointment of a leader as the in-charge for Assam in early 2009. Jaitley refused to attended party meetings until he was removed.
