Shehzad Poonawalla, who recently stepped down as a spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), stated he would only consider rejoining the Congress party if key leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were removed from their positions. This remark highlights ongoing tensions within India’s political landscape, particularly regarding leadership accountability in major parties.
The BJP leader, whose resignation is yet to be accepted by the BJP leadership, was speaking to NDTV when he made the remarks. Ruling out his return to the Congress after he left the party in 2017, Poonawalla said: “I will join the Congress on one condition: Remove Rahul Gandhi, remove Sonia Gandhi, remove Priyanka Vadra, apologise for Nehru’s actions.
On Monday, Poonawalla requested BJP national president Nitin Nabin to accept his resignation letter. But there was no official confirmation from the party at that time. The BJP leader also explained his decision behind leaving the party.
On July 31, he updated his bio on X, omitting any mention of the BJP, which sparked speculation about his potential departure from the party.
Lauding the ruling party at the Centre, Poonawalla said: “I am not a bhavishya vakta (future teller) like Rahul Gandhi, but all I can say in the present moment is that there is no greater leader this country has had, or will have, than Prime Minister Modi. Recalling his journey from being a TV anchor to joining politics, he said he needed new avenues since the current role did not involve much money. The BJP or any other political party does not pay its spokespersons, he said. “ Me wanting to resign or moving to a private space has been a conversation since 2024,” he said, adding that his “24X7, 365 days a year” job was no longer sustainable for him.
