BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla has once again submitted his resignation from the party, urging BJP national president Nitin Nabin to accept his decision. In a letter dated August 17, Poonawalla said he had earlier offered to resign from all party positions and primary membership, but the resignation had not been accepted.
Poonawalla said he had now reached a “final decision” to step down as the BJP's national spokesperson and from active primary membership. He said pressing financial and personal circumstances had influenced his decision and added that he planned to move into the private sector.
Shehzad Poonawalla submits resignation letter again
In the letter addressed to Nitin Nabin, Poonawalla recalled his earlier resignation offer dated July 30, 2026. He said he was grateful that the party had initially refused to accept his resignation and had asked him to reconsider the decision. However, after “long and hard contemplation”, he said he had decided to press for his release from the role of national spokesperson and active primary membership of the BJP.
Poonawalla also referred to events of the past few days, saying they had reinforced his decision to stand by his earlier choice.
Says he will continue to support PM Modi and BJP's vision
While announcing his decision to leave active party membership, Poonawalla expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nitin Nabin and senior BJP leaders including Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP General Secretary (Organisation) B.L. Santosh. He said he would continue to support the vision and work of Prime Minister Modi and the BJP “wherever possible and in whatever format possible”.
In his letter, Poonawalla described his decision as leaving the “Vyavastha” rather than the “Vyakti or Vichar”, indicating that he was distancing himself from the party organisation while maintaining his stated support for its leadership and ideology.
Poonawalla posts resignation letter on social media
Poonawalla also shared his resignation letter on X, along with a message requesting the BJP leadership to accept it. He described his departure as a goodbye to the party and said he remained grateful for the guidance, respect and opportunities he had received.
In the post, he specifically thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nitin Nabin, Amit Shah, B.L. Santosh, J.P. Nadda, Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari. Poonawalla also said he would continue to work towards what he described as the vision of “Viksit Bharat” and “Make India Great Again”.
Poonawalla had earlier signalled exit from active politics
Poonawalla's latest resignation comes after he had indicated in July that he was moving away from active politics. His resignation from the BJP was reported at the end of July, after he removed references to the party from his X bio. At the time, reports said he had cited personal reasons for his decision. His latest letter now provides a direct confirmation of his decision and says that he wants the BJP to formally accept his resignation.
Poonawalla had joined the BJP after leaving the Congress in 2017 and went on to become one of the party's prominent television and social media spokespersons.
Says he is leaving the party but not his support for its leadership
In his social media post, Poonawalla said he was bidding farewell to the party he loved and to the national spokesperson position he had held. At the same time, he reiterated his support for Prime Minister Modi and said his commitment to the broader vision he associates with the BJP would continue.
His resignation now awaits formal acceptance by the BJP leadership.
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