Shehzad Poonawalla, who served as the national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has resigned from the party.
Poonawalla submitted his resignation to the BJP leadership, citing personal reasons for his decision, CNN-News18 reported, quoting sources. However, neither Poonawalla nor the BJP has issued an official statement so far.
In his updated bio on X (formerly Twitter), there is no mention of the BJP. Instead, Poonawalla describes himself as a "lifelong follower" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He updated his bio on Thursday but did not explain the reason behind the change.
Poonawalla joined the BJP in 2017 after quitting the Congress following a fallout over the party's presidential election process. Soon after joining the BJP, he was appointed the party's national spokesperson.
Known for his firebrand remarks during television debates and on social media, Poonawalla has been a vocal supporter of Prime Minister Modi and the BJP. Over the years, he has frequently targeted the Congress and criticised its leaders, including Rahul Gandhi.
Hints on social media
In his recent posts on X, Poonawalla appeared to hint at stepping away from active politics. He shared clips from his past interviews, without captions, in which he spoke about leaving politics.
In one of the clips, which he said was from January 2025, Poonawalla said, "It is a problem that we merge the political goal with electoral goal. They are two different things. Thinking that I make societal contribution only after my electoral goals are met is a mistake. If I don't become an MP, does that mean I have no contribution in society and politics? Should I spend all my energy on running behind these positions? I think everyone should think what they can contribute for the country. Some people contribute by becoming elected representatives, while some go out of this system and try to contribute. That does not mean we are apolitical."
In another clip shared on X, Poonawalla said he had considered the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to be his last.
"In 2024, I had decided that I will quit active politics. But I stayed for crucial polls such as Bengal, Delhi, Haryana, Bihar and Maharashtra. Now I feel that it is time to move on from active politics," he said.
He had first shared the clip on June 28 with the caption, "I'm already 2 years late on this.." and reshared it again on Thursday, further fuelling speculation about his decision to step away from active politics.
