Who Is George Kurian? BJP Veteran Resigns as Union Minister, President Droupadi Murmu Accepts Resignation

New Delhi: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader George Kurian has stepped down from the Union Council of Ministers after the completion of his Rajya Sabha tenure, bringing an end to his stint in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

President Droupadi Murmu accepted Kurian's resignation with immediate effect on the advice of the Prime Minister, according to an official communication issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Kurian was serving as Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. His resignation follows the expiry of his Rajya Sabha term on June 21. The BJP did not renominate him in the recent Rajya Sabha elections, paving the way for his exit from the Union Cabinet.

Who is George Kurian?

George Kurian is a veteran BJP leader from Kerala and one of the party's longest-serving Christian faces in national politics. A lawyer by profession, he joined the BJP shortly after the party's formation in 1980 and has held several important organisational positions over the decades.

Born in Kerala in 1960, Kurian studied law and later practised in the Supreme Court. He served as vice-chairman of the National Commission for Minorities and was also associated with the BJP's Kerala unit as a core committee member and vice-president.

Kurian was inducted into the third Modi government in June 2024 and was subsequently elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh. His appointment was viewed as part of the BJP's outreach to Christian communities, particularly in Kerala.

Why did he resign?

The resignation is linked to the conclusion of Kurian's Rajya Sabha term and the BJP's decision not to field him again in the latest Upper House elections. Under constitutional provisions, a minister who is not a member of Parliament can continue only for a limited period unless re-elected or renominated. With his tenure ending and no fresh nomination forthcoming, Kurian resigned from the Union Cabinet.

His departure also leaves the government without one of its prominent Christian representatives at the Union ministerial level. Political observers are now watching closely to see whether the BJP undertakes a cabinet reshuffle or names a replacement in the coming weeks.