Shehzad Poonawala sparked speculation after removing “BJP National Spokesperson” from his X bio while retaining “Lifelong follower of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, July 31, 2026: BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala has resigned from the party, bringing an end to his high-profile role as one of the BJP’s most visible television debaters. The resignation was confirmed on Thursday, with party sources stating that Poonawala stepped down citing personal reasons.
Speculation over his exit began after Poonawala updated his profile on X, removing the designation “BJP National Spokesperson” from his bio while retaining his description as a “Lifelong follower of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
His revised bio reads: “Religion: Islam, Culture: Hindu, ideology: Bhartiya, Author: GST ki Yatra; Lifelong follower of PM Narendra Modi.”
Although Poonawala has resigned from his organisational role, there is no indication that he has left the BJP. According to reports, his decision was based on personal reasons.
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My updated bio : pic.twitter.com/qGG5s9WMOG
— Shehzad Jai Hind (@Shehzad_Ind) July 30, 2026
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READ: The State of TV News: Falling Revenues, ‘Godi Media’ Tag, and Crisis of Trust (Part 2)
A lawyer by training, Poonawala first entered national politics as a Congress leader. He shot into the spotlight in 2017 after publicly challenging the Congress leadership, alleging that the party’s internal presidential election had been manipulated to ensure Rahul Gandhi’s elevation. The episode led to his exit from the Congress, after which he joined the BJP and was appointed a national spokesperson.
Over the past several years, Poonawala became one of the BJP’s most recognisable media faces, frequently representing the party in television debates and defending the Narendra Modi government’s policies on a wide range of political issues.
In recent weeks, Poonawala had hinted at stepping away from active politics. He shared a clip from an earlier television interview in which he spoke about moving on from frontline political life, fuelling speculation about his future.
Poonawala is also the author of “GST Ki Yatra,” a book that traces the evolution and implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India and presents it as a major economic reform under the Modi government.
He is the younger brother of political commentator Tehseen Poonawala. The two brothers have long had contrasting political trajectories and have been publicly estranged since Shehzad left the Congress to join the BJP, often taking opposing positions in television debates and on social media.
