Arun Jaitley is lawyer by profession, Bharatiya Janata Party politician, currently serving as Finance Minister, Corporate Affair Minister and Information & Broadcasting Minister in Government of India and also as Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha. Arun Jaitley previously held the cabinet portfolios of Commerce & Industry and Law & Justice in National Democratic Alliance and is also a former Minister of Defence during 2014.
In the 2014 general election, Jaitley was unsuccessful BJP candidate for Amritsar seat in elections defeated by the Indian National Congress candidate Amarinder Singh.
Early Life
Jaitley was born and raised in the capital, New Delhi, and his father was a successful lawyer. Jaitley completed a bachelor degree in commerce in 1973 & received a law degree in 1977, both from University of Delhi. During his time at the university, he became a member of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, student wing of the pro-Hindu organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. In 1974 was elected president of union at the university. He participated in demonstrations against the imposition of emergency in 1975 by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, was arrested, and was held in detention for 19 months.
In 1977 Arun became the national convener of the Loktantrik Yova Morcha youth organization, which campaigned for Party candidates that year. He joined the BJP after its formation in 1980. His career as politician & the lawyer progressed simultaneously. He served as additional solicitor general in the BJP led government in 1989–1990, during which he was involved in some investigations into the scandal involving a Swedish weapon manufacturer firm accused of paying bribes to several high profile persons including then-prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
In 1991 Arun Jaitley was included in the BJP national executive, the top decision-making body of the party. Prior to the 1999 elections, he was appointed as the party spokesperson, a position he also held for several months in 2002–03. He served in a variety of ministerial posts in the BJP led National Democratic Alliance coalition government in 1999–2004, including minister of Law, Justice & Company Affairs & minister of Commerce & Industry. After the NDA lost power in the 2004 elections, Arun Jaitley was appointed as the BJP general secretary.
Jaitley was first elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2000, representing state of Gujarat, & he was reelected in 2006 & 2012. During his first term he introduced bills for two amendments to Indian constitution: First froze the number of seats in parliament until the year 2026 based on districting in the 1991 national census, and second imposed penalties on members of parliament who defected from one party to another during their terms and limited number of members of state ministry councils. In 2009 he was chosen as leader of Bhartiya Janata Party opposition in the upper house. He ceased practicing law following the appointment. In addition to his other duties, he served as party campaign manager in several states over the years.
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