New Delhi:
BJP nationwide spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla has resigned from all positions and the first membership of the celebration. One of the vital well-known faces of the ruling celebration on TV debates, Poonawalla said that he has give up as a result of “urgent” monetary and private circumstances.
In his first interview after quitting the BJP, Poonawalla mentioned that political events, together with the BJP, don’t pay salaries to their spokespersons and that he was discovering it troublesome to maintain himself.
“I have to pay my lease. My landlord isn’t going to provide me free lease as a result of I am from the BJP. He is asking me for lease on the first. Political events do not pay karyakartas (staff),” Shehzad Poonawalla mentioned.
However he shortly added that he didn’t anticipate the BJP to maintain him, and that he nonetheless stays dedicated to the celebration’s and the Prime Minister’s imaginative and prescient.
“The BJP’s job is to not maintain me or some other karyakarta. See, if you be a part of a political motion, this isn’t a job. You turn into a karyakarta due to the love for the vichar dhara (ideology), or the love for the vyakti (particular person), or the love for the sangathan (organisaton), and many others. All these three issues are nonetheless there with me.”
#NDTVExclusive | Shehzad Poonawalla’s first interview after exit from BJP to NDTV’s @ShivAroor on #IndiaMatters
Robust questions, direct solutions. Watch @Shehzad_Ind reply to the contradictions, the timing, and the politics behind his massive resolution. pic.twitter.com/bviMkcdPce
— NDTV (@ndtv) August 18, 2026
Insisting that monetary points have been the principle cause for his sudden exit from the BJP, Shehzad Poonawalla, who joined the celebration in 2021 after quitting the Congress, identified that whereas most politicians fall within the “leta” (taking some advantages) or “beta” (somebody’s son) class, he belonged to neither and thus wanted to search out methods to maintain himself.
“Why do you suppose that every one politicians are from leta or beta? I neither do leta, meaning taking something, nor am I some massive politician’s beta.”
“Persons are unwilling to simply accept that politicians like me – first-generation, new-age politicians – do not come from any legacy. What occurs is we’re so used to seeing Sachin Pilots or we’re so used to seeing all these netas, betas, that we assume that everybody has that way of life,” he added.
Poonawalla additionally repeatedly insisted that his resignation was not a sudden transfer, however that he had been serious about it since 2024. He additionally mentioned that the celebration management reached out to him after he first expressed his want to give up a couple of weeks in the past.
“Whoever wanted to achieve out to me already reached out to me on the thirtieth of July. And far earlier than that, after I communicated that these are the challenges I am dealing with, they the truth is went out of their technique to work out or see how I might be taken care of. However truthfully, my conscience does not enable me. The BJP isn’t my employment alternative. The BJP is my ideological alternative. And to decide to the BJP’s ideology or Modiji’s imaginative and prescient, I do not have to be ready within the BJP.”
Rejecting the varied “conspiracy” theories floating round his exit, resembling an alleged “sting operation” video, Poonawalla mentioned that he was listening to of any such video for the primary time and that there was no fact within the tales floating round on social media.
“I do not pursue this stuff. Whoever is spreading this isn’t making it salacious sufficient.”
Resignation Letter.
With utmost humility, sense of affection & gratitude i’ve as soon as once more submitted my resignation letter to @BJP4India & Hon’ble Shri @NitinNabin ji & have requested that the identical be accepted.
Eternally grateful for steering, love, respect and platform that… pic.twitter.com/yUvyJiWNdX
— Shehzad Jai Hind (@Shehzad_Ind) August 17, 2026
In his resignation letter, Shehzad Poonawalla talked about “the occasions of the previous couple of days, courtesy sure people”, with out taking names or specifying particulars. Refusing to call any names, Poonawalla instructed NDTV that there are working points in each organisation. “In any group, and particularly in political organizations or media organizations, in case you really feel that everybody goes to have essentially the most cordial, hunky-dory relationship, that is not the way it works.”
He then went on so as to add that there are individuals who need to see him fall, with out going into particular names or people. “That is how public life works… Folks wanting to tug you down.”
Center class earns.
Center class pays.
However what does the center class get again? 🤔Dangerous roads.
Air air pollution.
Poisonous water.
Corruption.Time to AXE THE PERSONAL INCOME TAX for Salaried Center Class until we get WORLD CLASS FACILITIES. #KhandanKaro #TheManifesto #MiddleClass… pic.twitter.com/chSJgAYwoZ
Reacting to criticism over his newest video demanding tax reduction for the center class, and questions on why he did not increase these points whereas being within the ruling celebration, Shehzad clarified that he was not concentrating on the Centre or any explicit celebration by his video and was elevating the difficulty like a “nagrik” (citizen).
“I’ve written a ebook on how the GST rationalization has really helped in reducing the typical fee of taxes on this nation. So frankly, the central authorities has accomplished its bit. However taxes are usually not charged simply by the central authorities. Taxes are charged by state governments. Tolls are charged. We’re charged cesses. We’re charged all types of issues. Go to Karnataka, go to Himachal and see.”
Ruling out switching again to Congress, Shehzad Poonawall checklist his situations for a change of coronary heart.
“I’ll be a part of Congress, on one situation: Take away Rahul Gandhi, take away Sonia Gandhi, take away Priyanka Wadra, apologize for Nehru’s actions,” Poonawala cheekily mentioned.
Shehzad Poonawalla insisted that he stays ideologically dedicated to the Modi imaginative and prescient: “I am not a bhavishya vakta (future teller) like Rahul Gandhi, however all I can say within the current second is that there is no such thing as a larger chief this nation has had, or could have, than Prime Minister Modi. And having served because the nationwide spokesperson of the world’s largest democratic celebration, do you suppose I’ll accept another celebration? The BJP is the most effective celebration that India has at this second.”
