Published Jun 23, 2026 | 10:52 AM ⚊ Updated Jun 23, 2026 | 2:03 PM
George Kurian with President Murmu. Credit: x.com/GeorgekurianBjp
Synopsis: George Kurian, BJP leader from Kerala and Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, resigned after his Rajya Sabha term ended. President Droupadi Murmu accepted his resignation under Article 75. Kurian, the party’s prominent Christian face, is expected to focus on strengthening BJP’s organisational base in Kerala amid speculation of a wider cabinet reshuffle.
President Droupadi Murmu has accepted the resignation of Union MoS George Kurian from the Council of Ministers, following the expiry of his Rajya Sabha term. The move, announced Tuesday, 23 June, on the advice of PM Modi, was made under Clause (2) of Article 75 of the Constitution.
Kurian, a senior BJP leader from Kerala, had been serving as MoS for Minority Affairs and for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying since June 2024.
His resignation was necessitated by Article 75(5), which mandates that a minister who is not a member of either House of Parliament for six consecutive months cannot continue in office.
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Elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh in August 2024 to fill the vacancy created by Jyotiraditya Scindia’s Lok Sabha win, Kurian’s term concluded in June 2026.
BJP has nominated Tarun Chugh and Rajneesh Agrawal for the two seats now falling vacant, signalling that Kurian was not considered for renomination. This comes on the heels of Congress’ Rajya Sabha candidate Meenakshi Natarajan being debarred from contesting. Her nomination was rejected by after BJP’s objection highlighting the non-disclosure of a pending criminal case in her affidavit from Telangana.
Born in Kottayam in 1960, Kurian is a lawyer by profession and has been associated with the saffron party since the early 1980s. He has held several organisational roles, including in the party’s Minority Morcha, and is widely regarded as BJP’s prominent Christian face in Kerala. He played a key role in outreach efforts to Christian communities, engaging with dioceses and church leaders.
Kurian contested the 2026 Assembly election from Kanjirappally but fared poorly, polling fewer votes than former Union Minister Alphons Kannanthanam had previously secured from the constituency. Sources suggest he may now be tasked with strengthening BJP’s organisational presence in Kerala.
