Jaya Jaitly

Jaya Jaitly Biography

Jaya Jaitly is an Indian socialist politician, an activist, author and handicrafts curator. She has been associated with Samata Party in her political journey and has served as Party’s president as well. However she had to resign that post following Operation West End controversy in 2002, the first sting operation done by Tehelka one year earlier. She is an arts promoter and curator and an expert in field of India’s arts and crafts cottage industries. She has also authored and published numerous books related to the subject. Famous Indian cricketer Ajay Jadega is her son-in-law. She is divorced from her first husband and currently in a live-in relationship with well-known politician George Fernandes.

Jaya Jaitly was born on 14 June 1942 in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. She is the daughter of Krishna Krishna Chettur, shortly called K. K. Chettur, a civil servant and diplomat who served as India's first ambassador to Japan. Jaya’s younger days have been spent in Japan and Burma, where her father worked. When she was 13, she lost her father. He was in his mid-50s. After Chettur’s death the family returned to Delhi.  She met Ashok Jaitly while at college and they later got married in 1965. The couple had two children, one son and one daughter. Their daughter is married to cricketer Ajay Jadega.

Jaitly met politician George Fernandes and she joined the Socialist Trade Union on his request. Her husband was already working with him. Jaya turned into active politics soon after infamous 1984 Sikh riots. Fernandes and Madhu Limaye remained her mentors in her political career. She joined the Janata Party same year, which split to form the Janta Dal and later, she and Fernandes formed the Samata Party. She divorced her husband and has been living with George Fernandes for the past 25 years.

Published: January 22, 2019

Updated: January 22, 2019