Shehzad Poonawalla has submitted his resignation to the BJP top brass, citing personal reasons for leaving active politics.
The 38-year-old leader updated his X bio to remove his BJP designation, though he continues to describe himself as a follower of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Poonawalla revealed he had planned to exit politics after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but extended his tenure to assist the party in upcoming state polls.
Shehzad Poonawalla Quits BJP Citing Personal Reasons
I think I’ve reached where I aspired to be. In 2024 itself, I had thought that after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office for a third term, I’d move away from active politics," Poonawalla said in an earlier interview
Summary
Veteran National Spokesperson of the BJP, Shehzad Poonawalla has quit the political outfit. He tendered his resignation to the party leadership citing personal reasons, News18 reported. The outlet reported that an official announcement is expected shortly.
His social media accounts reflect this shift. On X, formerly Twitter, his profile omits any reference to the BJP but calls him a "lifelong follower" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Conversely, his Instagram bio still lists him as a National Spokesperson of the BJP.
Political Career
Poonawalla, on Thursday, on his X account, reshared an earlier interview with News18 in which he outlined his future plans.
"I’ve been engaged in active politics for approximately 18–19 years. I started at such a young age, so I’ve now completed 18–19 years in active politics. In terms of my capacity, I think I’ve reached where I aspired to be. In 2024 itself, I had thought that after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office for a third term, I’d move away from active politics," Poonawalla said.
He explained his decision to extend his political career temporarily after the 2024 general elections.
"However, after 2024 Lok Sabha win, I realised there was a certain emotion that reflected on PM Modi’s face. Although he’s beyond all this, we concluded that we would strive to win the upcoming elections over the next 1-2 years (Delhi, Maharashtra, West Bengal) and send out a message. After this, I thought time had come for me to leave active politics and move on," Poonawalla said.
From Congress To BJP
Poonawalla entered politics through the Congress party with the lawyer and civil rights advocate gaining widespread attention in 2017. He publicly opposed the internal voting system of the party, calling it "rigged" to ensure Rahul Gandhi became the president.
The backlash was swift. The Congress distanced itself from him, and his family—including his brother Tehseen Poonawalla—publicly severed relations. He then moved to the BJP, earning an appointment as national spokesperson to defend the party's positions on key public issues.
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