Who Is George Kurian, BJP’s Christian Leader Who Resigned As Union Minister?

George Kurian, the BJP’s only Christian representative in the Union Council of Ministers, resigned from the government on Tuesday after the party decided not to nominate him for another Rajya Sabha term. His tenure in the Upper House ended on 21 June, bringing to a close a ministerial stint that had been closely linked to the BJP’s efforts to expand its support among Kerala’s Christian community.

The resignation comes amid expectations of a reshuffle in the Union Council of Ministers and changes within the BJP organisation. According to The Indian Express, Kurian was not informed beforehand that he would be left out of the party’s list of Rajya Sabha candidates, although party sources later maintained that he had been told in advance that he would not be renominated.

“I got the opportunity to meet the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and I submitted the resignation yesterday itself. Becoming a Union Minister was something I had never imagined, even in my dreams. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose me to become a minister, and I conveyed my gratitude to him. Today, I was informed that the President has accepted my resignation,” Kurian said in a Facebook post.

A lawyer by profession, the 65-year-old has been associated with the Sangh Parivar since 1980 and joined the BJP when the party was formed. A native of Kottayam in Kerala, he worked his way through the organisation, holding positions in the BJP Yuva Morcha at both state and national levels before moving into senior roles in the Kerala unit. Over the years, he served as spokesperson, general secretary and vice-president of the state BJP.

His long association with the party distinguished him at a time when the BJP had limited influence among Kerala’s Christian population. Within the organisation, Kurian was generally regarded as a loyal party worker rather than a leader who joined for electoral opportunities.

Kurian also served as vice-chairman of the National Commission for Minorities. During his tenure, he voiced concerns raised by sections of Kerala’s Christian community regarding the “love jihad” controversy.

His electoral record in Kerala, however, was marked by defeats. He lost the 2016 Assembly election in Puthuppally to then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and was defeated again from Kanjirappally in the recent Assembly elections.

According to The Indian Express, Kurian’s induction into the Union government in June 2024 was widely seen as part of the BJP’s outreach to Christians in Kerala. The appointment came shortly after actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi became the BJP’s first Lok Sabha MP from the state, aided in part by support from Christian voters. Kurian, a member of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, belonged to a community that has featured prominently in the party’s engagement with Christian groups in Kerala.

After entering the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh, Kurian was appointed Minister of State and given responsibilities in the Ministries of Minority Affairs, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

As a Union Minister, he frequently defended the BJP’s position on issues involving Kerala’s Christian community and state politics.

Why did George Kurian resign from the Union government?

In July 2024, when the Congress and CPI(M) accused the Centre of overlooking Kerala in the Union Budget, Kurian argued that the state would need to classify itself as backward in education, infrastructure and social welfare if it wanted greater assistance from the Centre.

Later that year, he supported the Kerala Governor during a dispute over the display of a Bharat Mata portrait carrying a saffron flag at Lok Bhavan, saying that “everything is secondary to Bharat Mata”. The remark drew criticism from both the Congress and the CPI(M).

Kurian also backed the BJP-RSS position after schoolchildren sang an RSS gana geetham during the inaugural run of a Vande Bharat train between Kochi and Bengaluru, an episode that triggered political controversy in Kerala.

What was George Kurian’s role and political stance in government?

In 2025, when two Kerala-born Catholic nuns were arrested in Chhattisgarh over allegations of religious conversion, Kurian declined to take a public stand. He said his position as a Union Minister prevented him from commenting on the matter. Even after Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar stated that the nuns had not been involved in conversion activities, Kurian chose not to enter the debate.

A familiar presence on television debates, Kurian was also regularly called upon to translate speeches delivered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah during BJP events in Kerala.

(With inputs from Indian Express)