Shehzad Poonawalla quits Bharatiya Janata Party, updates X bio

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Jul 31, 2026: Shehzad Poonawalla, who served as the national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party, has resigned from the party. No official statement has been released so far. In his updated bio on X (formerly Twitter), there is no mention of the BJP. However, Poonawalla describes himself as a “lifelong follower" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Poonwalla updated his bio on Thursday but did not give any reason behind the decision.

He tendered his resignation to the top brass of the BJP and cited personal reasons behind the decision, CNN-News18 reported citing sources.

Poonawalla joined the Bharatiya Janata Party after quitting the Congress following a fallout over the party’s presidential election process in 2017. After joining the BJP, Poonawalla was elevated to the position of national spokesperson.

Poonawalla has been a staunch supporter of PM Modi and the BJP and is known for making firebrand remarks on debates and other platforms. He repeatedly attacked Congress and criticised its leaders including Rahul Gandhi through his social media.

Hints on social media

In the last few posts on Poonawalla’s X account, he had hinted towards moving on from active politics. He had shared some clips of his past interviews, without any caption, where he talked about quitting politics.

In one of the clips, he is heard saying, “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 my becoming elected representatives, while some go out of this system and try to contribute. That does not mean we are apolitical.”

The clip, according to his social media, is from January 2025.

In another clip shared by him, he is heard saying that he considered the 2024 general elections his last polls. “In 2024, I had decided that I will quit active politics. But I stayed for crucial polls such as Bengal, Delhi, Haryana, Bihar, Maharashtra. Now I feel that it is time to move on from active politics”.

He first shared the clip on June 28 with the caption “I’m already 2 years late on this..” and the reshared it on Thursday, seemingly hinting at taking the big step.