The PM Modi's trusted lieutenant and government's go-to man.

NEW DELHI: After giving up his flourishing legal practice in 2009, so that he did not run afoul of the office of profit law, Arun Jaitley had the luxury of spending quiet afternoons. Elections and parliament sessions kept him busy, but only for parts of the year. Mornings were spent in Lodhi Garden strolls.

Life changed in May, when after a gruelling but unsuccessful bid for an LS seat, PM Narendra Modi assigned him the key finance portfolio with additional charge of defence, another difficult ministry.If this wasn't enough, the man behind the initial draft of a new corporate law, was tasked with running the corporate affairs ministry.

For Modi, fixing the economy is top priority. Improving defence preparedness and modernization are key agenda items. As a result, since May 27 -after he drove into his wood-panelled finance ministry office -a Lodhi Garden break is probably the last thing on his mind as he shuttles between North Block (finance) and South Block (defence).

An informal arrangement worked out in the Modi administration has resulted in a Jaitley hand in some vital economic ministries -from commerce and industry to petroleum and power -that have first-timers at the helm.

Jaitley is today the government's go-to man, whose stamp can be seen in major economic decisions, from blocking the trade-facilitation agreement at WTO to the anti-dumping duty on solar-power equipment and the appointment of key legal officers.

He's the busiest minister. But after PM Modi, he's number three in Cabinet hierarchy, Rajnath Singh and Sushma Swaraj getting precedence. But looks can deceive.

For the BJP strategist, a typical day begins around 9am and ends past 10pm. Usually the finance ministry is his first port of call before he drives to the defence ministry. This is where he usually eats home-cooked lunch.

He doubles as interlocutor with the opposition. During parliament sessions it's common to see MPs across party lines drop in to meet Jaitley over lunch or for a chat. During the just-concluded session, on many days he single-handedly gave all replies during question hour, shutting between LS and RS ensuring that the Union Budget and Delhi government's vote on-account were passed.

Long work hours have meant his wife, Sangeeta, must keep a watch on his diet with his staff instructed to serve food at the designated time. By his own admission, Jaitely earlier left office by 6pm for a cup of tea at India International Centre, home to Delhi's chatterati, but no longer. His familiarity with Delhi and experience in the earlier NDA government (he held disinvestment, I&B, shipping, law, justice, company affairs, commerce and industry) are responsible for his bulging portfolio.

Jaitley is seen as the PM's most trusted lieutenant, their ties dating back to when Modi was the RSS nominee in BJP. He stood by Modi during his tough days after the Godhra riots and backed him when the then Gujarat CM was trying to move into national politics. The liberal philosophy the two share helps — something Jaitley acknowledged in a post-Budget interview to TOI. "It was because of the PM's economic ideology and my own that lower taxation will lead to more economic activity, more spending and more saving," he said.

Despite the lifestyle change, officials say there's little change in his affable demeanour. Even with days to go for Budget, he found time to discuss pashmina shawls, while grappling with problems confronting the textiles sector.

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com