Shehzad Poonawalla: The Congress rebel who the BJP will miss

Shehzad Poonawalla, one of the BJP's national spokespersons, updated his X bio and created a flutter. The 38-year-old dropped the 'National Spokesperson, BJP' designation, while also reposting clips from old interviews in which he talks about considering quitting active politics. Though there is no confirmation either from the party or Shehzad, his journey from an intern with a Congress leader to being one of the national spokespersons of the BJP at a young age is simply remarkable.Shehzad was the staple of prime-time TV debates, defending the BJP's policies and countering the Opposition's charges with fact and fluency. Even his rivals would agree that he was among the BJP's most energetic and articulate public defenders.Even as many try to connect the dots and come to their conclusions regarding his role, what can be said with surety is that if Shehzad has actually moved on from his role, he will surely be missed by the BJP and millions who enjoyed watching evening TV debates. Changes made by Shehzad Poonawalla to his social media bio sent tongues wagging as to his future. (Image: File) Shehzad Poonawalla had quite the journey before attaining the role of national spokesperson of one of the world's largest political parties. Born and raised in Pune, Shehzad studied law and acquired a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of Pune in 2008. During the same time, he interned with Congress leader Suresh Kalmadi before joining the All India Congress Committee (AICC) as a volunteer.After completing his course in 2008, he interned with the Congress's media research team in Delhi. Going by Shehzad's assertion, he used to travel to Delhi, paying for all expenses by himself.SHEHZAD POONAWALLA'S CHALLENGED RAHUL GANDHI'S ELECTION AS CONGRESS PRESIDENT Within the Congress, Shehzad Poonawalla rapidly rose through the ranks. Starting out as a volunteer within the AICC in 2008, he rose to become the vice-president of the Pune unit of the party's students' wing, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI).In 2016, he graduated to the main party, and was appointed the Secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee.Shehzad's tryst with the Congress, however, came crashing following Rahul Gandhi's elevation as party president in 2017.In November that year, while serving as Maharashtra Congress secretary, Shehzad challenged the internal election process, alleging it had been "fixed" to ensure Rahul Gandhi's victory and calling it a "selection, not an election".After Rahul Gandhi filed his nomination on December 4, Shehzad described the day as a "black day" for the Congress, calling the contest a "farce" and accusing the party of abandoning internal democracy in favour of dynastic succession, effectively burning all bridges with the INC.PIYUSH GOYAL WELCOMED SHEHZAD POONAWALLA TO BJP IN 2018Though his stint with the Congress ended, an association began with the party's rival — the BJP.On July 2018, the former Congressman formally joined the BJP at the party HQ in New Delhi in the presence of erstwhile Minister of Railways and Coal, Piyush Goyal.By 2021, Poonawalla had been appointed a BJP National Spokesperson. That was quite an achievement as Shehzad was all of 33.In December that year, he was named Delhi BJP's IT and Social Media Department in-charge by then Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta.Shezad Poonawalla is far from the only prominent voice within the Grand Old Party to make a switch to the Saffron camp. Yet, some qualities made him stand out as among the BJP's most prominent defenders, something the party might soon come to miss.WHAT MADE SHEHZAD THE PRINCE OF TV DEBATESWhat set Shehzad Poonawalla apart is his ability to combine facts with sharp wit, allowing him to defend the BJP's positions with arguments that were both pointed and memorable. A regular presence on prime-time television, political forums, and debates, Poonawalla soon emerged as one of the party's most recognisable voices, known for his combative defence of the BJP.Some of the most interesting debates were those in which Shehzad took on his elder brother Tehseen Poonawalla, who defended the Congress. One of the recent divides was seen in their debates on the Centre's E20 policy. While Tehseen is a critic of the E20 implementation and has launched an agitation, Shehzad defended the programme on behalf of the party.Shehzad's debating style often relied on catchy phrases and political wordplay. He labelled Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal "Farziwal" and accused the Aam Aadmi Party of being an "Aapda" rather than AAP, while frequently countering Rahul Gandhi's "Mohabbat ki Dukaan" slogan with "Mohabbat ki Dukaan, Nafrat ka Godown".During the 2024 Budget debate, when Opposition parties criticised the government's allocations, Shehzad dismissed their allegations as "chehra bachao allocations", arguing that they were aimed at saving political reputations rather than offering substantive criticism. He also mocked the Opposition's demand for a legal guarantee on MSP by calling it "Maximum Siyasat and Politics."In 2022, while attacking Kejriwal's excise policy, Shehzad said, "The public asked for schools, Kejriwal gave them liquor stores." Similarly, in January 2026, after Rahul Gandhi reiterated his criticism of India's economy as a "dead economy", Poonawalla hit back by saying, "His career is dead, and therefore he finds that our democracy is dead, our economy is dead."Shehzad Poonawalla is also well known for his detailed research and meticulous preparation (an aftereffect of his time as a law student) prior to sparring in debates. For instance, in a 2022 debate on India Today TV on PMLA/ED cases, he countered vendetta claims by citing an India Today report on the ED challenging the Mumbai Police’s closure in the Tops Group case in Bombay High Court despite political shifts toward BJP.His research spoke for itself in debates where most participants preferred to resort to rhetoric than facts.Of course, it was not all brickbats that Shehzad threw at the Opposition, he had a few roses as well. For instance, in November 2025, he branded Congress MP Shashi Tharoor as a "khathron ki khiladi" after the latter penned an article on the dangers of dynastic politics in India.Shehzad Poonawalla's careful mix of facts and wit, combative defence of the BJP, and ability to articulate his views clearly set him apart from many of his peers, both within and outside the party. It remains unclear whether he has formally resigned from the BJP, despite changes to his social media profiles suggesting a possible shift. It is also worth noting that in 2024, Shehzad had said he was considering stepping away from politics to focus on social work. However, if he does ultimately leave the party, his debating skills and media presence will be difficult for the BJP not to miss.- EndsPublished By: Shounak SanyalPublished On: Jul 31, 2026 20:46 IST