'24x7, 365 days a year wasn't sustainable': Shehzad Poonawalla spills the beans on why he quit BJP

Shehzad Poonawalla, who recently quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), revealed that working round-the-clock was no longer sustainable for him. He also noted that it was mostly due to the financial burden that he quit the saffron party.

Reflecting on his journey, he said that he is looking for new avenues as the current role is not a well-paying one. “I need to pay my rent. My landlord is not going to give me free rent because I'm from the BJP,” Poonawalla was quoted as saying by NDTV.

Shehzad said that like any other political party, the BJP also does not pay its spokespersons. “Me wanting to resign or moving to a private space has been a conversation since 2024,” Poonawalla said. He added that his “24X7, 365 days a year” job was no longer sustaining him.

Furthermore, he said that he neither got paid nor was he related to any politician. Shehzad Poonawalla said, "I don't come from legacy."

“I neither take anything, nor am I some big politician's beta (son),” he added. When asked if he was irked over not being included in the BJP's new organisational team, he said that he doesn't have a say in such important decisions as the spokesperson.

BJP organisational rejig

BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Monday announced his new team, naming Smriti Irani as national general secretary. Vasundhara Raje Scindia, Tirath Singh Rawat, and Ram Madhav were named as national vice presidents.

B.L. Santosh will continue as National General Secretary (Organisation), while Shivprakash and Saudan Singh have been appointed National Joint General Secretaries (Organisation).

Shehzad Poonawalla quits BJP

In a letter to Nitin Nabin dated August 17, Poonawalal said that pressing financial and personal circumstances have led to him quitting his party post and primary membership. He said that the BJP initially declined to accept his resignation and asked him to reconsider his decision.

"But after long and hard contemplation, I have arrived at a final decision that I would like to press for relieving me from my role as National Spokesperson and active primary membership of the BJP," Poonawalla wrote on X.