Why did Shehzad Poonawala resign from BJP and what will be his next move?

Poonawala described himself as a ‘lifelong’ follower of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his updated X bio, without mentioning the BJP. Although Poonawala did not give any official statement, he submitted his resignation to the senior leadership of the BJP, citing personal reasons, CNN-News18 reported, quoting sources.

With his resignation, political circles in New Delhi are abuzz with questions: Why did the BJP's former national spokesperson step down, and what will his next political move be?

Though the leader did not release any statement over his resignation, he indicated that his resignation was a long-planned decision, saying he was already "two years late" in stepping away from active politics. In podcast clips shared on X, he revealed that he had intended to quit politics after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and PM Narendra Modi’s expected third term.

The leader expressed that his resignation came after two years of delay. “I’m already 2 years late on this…,” wrote Poonawala.

However, the BJP’s reduced tally of 240 seats and the party’s subsequent electoral challenges prompted him to stay on and help during key state elections, including in Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, and West Bengal.

Speaking directly about his exit from the BJP, Poonawala said, “ In 2024, I had thought that when Modi ji becomes PM for the third time, then I will be separated from active politics. But because at that time, we came at 240 seats, I saw that emotion on Modi ji's face. Although he is beyond all this, after seeing that emotion, I felt that at least in the elections in the next 1-2 years, in which we had a crucial Bengal election, Delhi election, Maharashtra-Haryana election, this election gave him full strength, won and gave a message. After that, I think it is time to move ahead with active politics.”

Poonawalla said that after nearly two decades in active politics, having started at a young age, he feels he has achieved what he set out to accomplish and believes it is now the right time to move on from active political life.

“I am young, but I started at such a young age that now I have completed 18-19 years in active politics and I think I have already reached where I wanted to reach, in terms of my capacity,” said the former BJP leader.

In the same clip, Poonawala said that leaving politics does not mean stepping away from serving society. He stressed that politics is just one avenue for contributing to the nation, and meaningful social work can be carried out in many other fields.

Hinting at a new career, he added that nation-building is not limited to politics and that there are several ways to make a positive impact on society.

“We think that contributing in life can only be done through politics. Politics is one way, but social policy is more prevalent than that. What we can do for society is not limited to politics.”

“So, I think there are a lot of places where we can contribute. That can also be a way. It is not necessary that society and the country can be created only through politics,” he added.

Why is speculation mounting over Poonawalla’s next political move?

With Poonawala’s regination BJP has lost one more fierce spokesperson and leader after the recent resignation of former Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai in June this year.

Annamalai left the BJP to launch a new political outfit; soon after resigning, he launched a new youth-centric movement called ‘We the Leaders’ on Friday. He announced that the movement would eventually evolve into a full-fledged political party and contest the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

The back-to-back resignations have triggered intense speculation about Poonawalla’s next stint, with buzz over whether he will follow Annamalai’s path and launch a new political outfit; or choose to stay away from active politics altogether, remaining a lifelong supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and continuing to contribute to society through other avenues.