Former BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and its founder Abhijeet Dipke after Dipke named MK Stalin, Pinarayi Vijayan and Arvind Kejriwal as his picks for India’s best chief ministers.
In a video posted on X, Poonawalla described the CJP as a “bunch of fraudiyaas” and questioned Dipke’s choice of leaders, arguing that all three chief ministers had subsequently lost political power in their respective states or territories.
“These three are those CMs who were rejected by the public of their state,” Poonawalla said, adding that CJP appeared to favour chief ministers who had been rejected by voters.
He also took a swipe at the organisation’s name, saying that “Janta” should be removed from it because voters had made different choices.
What did Abhijeet Dipke say?
Dipke had been asked to name the best chief minister in the country during a television appearance. He cited Stalin, Vijayan and Kejriwal, praising their respective records in Tamil Nadu’s economy, Kerala’s healthcare system and Delhi’s education sector.
“MK Stalin did well for the Tamil Nadu economy, and Pinarayi Vijayan worked well in the healthcare sector in Kerala. Arvind Kejriwal did good work regarding schools and education in Delhi,” Dipke said.
His remarks drew a strong response from Poonawalla, who highlighted issues that he said undermined the former chief ministers’ records.
Poonawalla’s criticism of Stalin, Vijayan and Kejriwal
Poonawalla pointed to the increase in Tamil Nadu’s public debt during Stalin’s tenure. He also referred to COVID-19 deaths in Kerala while discussing Vijayan’s tenure and raised the issue of liquor vends under Kejriwal in Delhi.
His criticism comes after major political changes in all three regions.
In Tamil Nadu, the DMK lost the assembly election in May, with C. Joseph Vijay and the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam emerging as the new ruling force. Stalin also lost his own constituency, according to the report.
In Kerala, the Congress returned to power in the assembly election after a decade, with VD Satheeshan replacing Vijayan as chief minister.
Delhi also witnessed a change in government after the BJP won the assembly election in February 2025, ending the AAP’s long tenure in the capital. Rekha Gupta subsequently became chief minister.
Poonawalla’s post-BJP political attacks
Poonawalla’s latest remarks come shortly after his resignation from the BJP. Since leaving the party, he has continued to make political comments on a range of issues and has engaged in public exchanges with political figures and organisations.
His latest criticism of CJP follows a series of recent political statements involving Dipke, including remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and appeals related to the PM CARES Fund.
The latest exchange has therefore added another chapter to the increasingly outspoken political commentary surrounding Poonawalla and Dipke.
