Shehzad Poonawalla quits BJP, cites personal and financial reasons

Shehzad Poonawalla has resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), submitting a letter to party chief Nitin Nabin on August 17. In the letter, shared on X, he said he had first resigned on July 30 but the party did not accept it. He cited 'pressing emergency personal and financial circumstances' and a move to the private sector. Siasat.com reports that Poonawalla mentioned 'certain individuals' whose actions forced him to reinforce his earlier decision.

Poonawalla told News24 that he had been planning to leave since 2024, as he could not balance his salaried job with politics. Hindustan Times reports that he said a spokesperson role is voluntary and unpaid. He added that he will continue to support the BJP's ideology, stating he is leaving the organisation, not the individual or the ideology.

Before resigning, Poonawalla announced a new social media programme called 'The Manifesto' on Instagram, focusing on middle-class issues such as taxes, infrastructure, and corruption. He said he had no ambition to head the BJP's IT cell.