Shehzad Poonawalla indicates moving away from politics, quits BJP, changes Twitter bio

On Thursday, July 28, the 38-year-old shared an earlier interview he had given to CNN-News18"s Pallavi Ghosh and Payal Mehta, in which he had spoken about his plans in politics.

NewsBharati    31-Jul-2026 15:51:14 PM
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On Friday, July 31, Shehzad Poonawalla, who has long served as a spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), indicated that he has moved on from politics and quit the BJP. As per reports, he has stepped down from his role and submitted a resignation letter to the party's senior leadership, citing personal reasons for the decision.

Recognized for his sharp debating style, Poonawalla has long been a prominent voice for the BJP and has consistently expressed strong support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Notably, his bio on X (formerly Twitter) describes him as a "lifelong follower" of PM Modi, but makes no mention of the BJP.
 
Shehzad Poonawalla 

On Thursday, July 28, the 38-year-old shared an earlier interview he had given to CNN-News18's Pallavi Ghosh and Payal Mehta, in which he had spoken about his plans in politics.
 
 

"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," he had said in the interview.
 

"However, after the 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 the time had come for me to leave active politics and move on," he had added.
 
 

Trained as a lawyer and known as a civil rights activist, Poonawalla's political journey began with the Congress party. He gained widespread attention in 2017 after openly challenging the party's internal election process, calling it rigged in favor of Rahul Gandhi's rise to the president's post.
 

The controversy led to a public split with the Congress, and even estranged him from members of his own family, including his brother Tehseen Poonawalla, who distanced himself publicly. He later moved to the BJP, where he took on the role of national spokesperson, representing the party's position on major socio-political issues.
Shehzad Poonawalla BJP New Delhi Politics