Tehseen Poonawalla breaks silence on Shehzad ‘betraying’ him over a woman, takes savage dig at Tej Pratap’s Rise and Fall Season 2 performance

Political commentator Tehseen Poonawalla has responded to a post on X (formerly Twitter) accusing his younger brother, former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, of ‘backstabbing’ him over a woman. The post also accused Shehzad of physically pushing Bihar politician Tej Pratap Yadav during a confrontation on reality show Rise & Fall Season 2, while questioning the behaviour of BJP supporters.

Tehseen addressed the claims directly in his tweet, denying that a woman was responsible for the rift between the brothers while acknowledging that they have major disagreements. He also took aim at Tej Pratap, criticising his performance on the show and his standing in Bihar. His response not only addressed the claims about his relationship with Shehzad but also brought Tej Pratap into the exchange, as he defended his brother’s standing on the show.

A clip from Rise & Fall Season 2 has sparked a discussion on X (formerly Twitter) after a user accused Shehzad Poonawalla of “backstabbing” his brother, Tehseen Poonawalla, over a woman. The post also alleged that Shehzad had physically assaulted fellow contestant Tej Pratap Yadav, the Bihar politician and elder son of Lalu Prasad Yadav, while taking aim at BJP supporters.

Tehseen responded to the post by rejecting the claim that a woman had come between him and his younger brother. Acknowledging their political differences, he wrote that the two had “major” disagreements but insisted that the allegation that Shehzad had ditched him over a girl was “not true.”

Tehseen also directed his criticism at Tej Pratap, calling him a “nikamma” (useless) nepotism beneficiary and describing him as a “flop” in the show and in Bihar politics. He contrasted this with his assessment of Shehzad, whom he described as the one “running the show.”

The controversy stems from a confrontation on Rise & Fall Season 2, a Prime Video reality show hosted by former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag. The show divides contestants into Rulers, who live in a penthouse and hold power, and Workers, who stay in the basement and compete for the opportunity to move up.

In the episode, Shehzad held the position of Ultimate Ruler and made decisions about which contestants would remain in the penthouse and which would move to the basement. Actor Gautam Gulati, known for his television and reality-show appearances, and content creator Raj Grover were among those sent downstairs, while Shehzad kept himself and Russian model Irina Rudakova in the penthouse.

Tej Pratap and Gulati challenged the decision, with Gulati accusing Shehzad of jealousy and manipulation. Tej then suggested that the decision could have been influenced by a “ladki ka chakkar,” implying a romantic interest involving a woman in the house.

Shehzad denied the suggestion and reacted angrily during the exchange. At one point, he pushed Tej and told him not to talk "nonsense", maintaining that his decision had nothing to do with a woman. Tej responded by warning Shehzad against being disrespectful and threatening to involve the production team.

The exchange subsequently circulated on social media, with the argument over the show’s decisions becoming linked to allegations about Shehzad’s relationship with his brother.

Tehseen Poonawalla is a political commentator, activist and former Bigg Boss 13 contestant. He is Shehzad’s elder brother and has publicly expressed political views that differ from his brother’s.

Shehzad Poonawalla is a lawyer and former BJP spokesperson who became known for criticising dynastic politics within the Congress before joining the BJP. He resigned from the party in August 2026, citing personal and financial circumstances, according to media reports.

The brothers’ public fallout dates back to November 2017, when Shehzad Poonawalla challenged the Congress presidential election process, alleging that it was designed to favour Rahul Gandhi and criticising the party’s dynastic politics. On the same day, Tehseen publicly expressed his hurt over his younger brother’s remarks, saying Shehzad should have raised his grievances within the party rather than taking them to the media. Later Tehseen declared on Twitter that he was ending his relationship with Shehzad, marking a very public breakdown in their relationship.

The political divide deepened as Shehzad subsequently left the Congress and joined the BJP, becoming a national spokesperson, while Tehseen continued to be associated with the Congress side of political debates.

Tej Pratap Yadav is the elder son of RJD leaders Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi and has served as a Bihar minister. His confrontation with Shehzad on the reality show brought him into the dispute that later drew a response from Tehseen.

On Rise & Fall 2, the “ladki ke chakkar” accusation was clearly aimed at Irina Rudakova. Shehzad (as Ultimate Ruler) chose to save her (and himself) while sending Gautam Gulati and Raj Grover to the basement.

Tej Pratap, Gautam, and others immediately suggested the decision was influenced by personal/romantic interest in Irina.

Social media then twisted the clip into claims that Shehzad had “backstabbed his own brother for a random girl", linking it to the long-standing differences between the Poonawalla brothers.