Simanta Shekhar filed his resignation with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the BJP state president on Monday, quitting the party’s Assam state executive committee and abandoning his membership.
He also relinquished his role as chairman of the Assam State Film (Finance and Development) Corporation, a post he had held since 2022.
Shekhar’s Facebook post framed the exit as a personal decision, stating, “I have taken this decision entirely due to deep personal reasons. It has no connection with any political ideology, policy or dissatisfaction with any individual.”
The singer’s resignation followed a heated exchange with MLA Vijay Kumar Gupta, who had claimed the late Zubeen Garg had sung about 3,000 songs. Shekhar urged the MLA to study Garg’s work before commenting, adding, “You may belong to the BJP; that is your political identity. But that does not mean we have to support every ignorant or irresponsible comment made about a legend like Zubeen Garg.”
In a rare public statement, Shekhar thanked BJP leaders, workers and supporters, wished the party well, and expressed confidence that Assam’s development would continue under Sarma’s stewardship. He also pledged that his commitment to Assamese culture would remain unchanged, despite stepping away from politics.
The vacancy in the film corporation’s top post has prompted the state government to announce that a new chairman will be appointed within the next few weeks, a move expected to stabilize the organization’s ongoing film funding initiatives.