Who is George Kurian, the second Union Minister from Kerala in Modi 3.0?

George Kurian, an advocate and the BJP state general secretary in Kerala, was inducted to the Union Council of ministers under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.  

Thiruvananthapuram: Besides Suresh Gopi, the actor-politician who opened the account for BJP in Kerala in the Lok Sabha polls, another Malayali joined the third Modi government – George Kurian. The BJP state general secretary took oath as a Minister of State in the third Modi government at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday (June 9) evening.

Kurian, who contested as the BJP candidate in Puthupally during the 2016 assembly elections, has held several key positions within the party. He served as a member of the BJP national executive committee, was the national vice-president of the Yuva Morcha, and also acted as the district president for the party's Kottayam unit.

A law graduate with a degree in Hindi, Kurian began his political journey through the Student Morcha. He is a member of the Minority Morcha and joined the Minority Affairs Policy Formulation Committee in 2013. In 2017, he made history as the first person from Kerala to be appointed vice-chairman of the National Minorities Commission. He also served as the officer on special duty (OSD) to O Rajagopal, the veteran BJP leader, during his term as Union minister in the AB Vajpayee government.

The 63-year-old Kurian is a well-known figure on television debates in Kerala and often translated speeches of central BJP leaders during elections, due to his proficiency in Hindi.

Kurian’s induction into the Union Council is viewed as the BJP's recognition of the Christian community's support in the recent elections, particularly in Thrissur, where the party secured a win. This move is also part of the BJP's strategy to strengthen its outreach to the Christian community and garner more support ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala.