According to highly placed sources, Narendra Modi is likely to meet Arun Jaitley at the latter’s residence at around 8.30 pm on Wednesday to reconsider his earlier decision and remain in the Government.
Arun Jaitley had, on Wednesday, written to Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi requesting him to keep him out of the new government which will be sworn in on Thursday.
In his letter to Modi, the outgoing Finance Minister said that he has been facing serious health challenges for the last 18 months and requested for “reasonable time for myself, my treatment and my health.
“During the last eighteen months, I have had some serious health challenges. My doctors have enabled me to emerge out of most of them,” Jaitley wrote.
“After the campaign had concluded and you were leaving for Kedarnath, I had orally informed you that even though I was able to discharge the responsibilities assigned to me during the campaign, I would in future, for some time, like to keep away from any responsibility,” he had added.
The senior BJP leader said that he will be able to concentrate on his treatment and health if left out of the government.
“I am writing to you to formally request you that I should be allowed a reasonable time for myself, my treatment and my health and, therefore, not be a part of any responsibility, for the present, in the new Government,” he wrote.
Jaitley, 66, has been unwell since he underwent a renal transplant in May 2018. In January, Jaitley underwent surgery in the US for a reported ailment. This prevented him from presenting the Modi government’s sixth and final budget of its current term.
Jaitley returned to India on 9 February.