BJP's Kerala general secretary George Kurian, who is the party's Christian face in the state, has been inducted into the Modi 3.0 Cabinet.
On Monday, Kurian, 63, was handed several portfolios in the government. He was appointed as the Minister of State in the Ministry of Minority Affairs and Minister of State in the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. After Suresh Gopi, who won the elections from Thrissur, Kurian is the second Kerala leader in the Modi Cabinet.
Who is George Kurian?
Kurian, a lawyer from Kottayam, has been associated with BJP since its foundation in 1980. Enjoying a good rapport with several national BJP leaders, Kurian worked in almost all the key posts of the state party unit, such as vice president and general secretary.
During the tenure of the first Narendra Modi government, Kurian was a member of the National Minority Commission.
Kurian belongs to the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, one of the key churches in Kerala. He has often been seen translating the speeches of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah during the party’s public events in the state.
In 2017, Kurian became the first in the state to be made the vice-chairman of the National Minority Commission. During his tenure, Kurian also shared the concerns of the Christian community in Kerala on the “love jihad" controversy.
In the 2016 assembly elections, Kurian unsuccessfully contested on a BJP ticket from Puthuppally against then chief minister and Congress candidate Oommen Chandy.
Senior BJP leader P K Krishnadas told The Indian Express that Kurian’s induction into the Council of Ministers was a major recognition for the state. “We have now two ministers from Kerala. It shows that Narendra Modi has given due consideration for the state,” he said.
Kurian is no stranger to Delhi as he was a member of the national organisation committee of BJP between 1999 and 2010. He also practiced for a while in the Supreme Court.
Kurian’s induction is seen as BJP’s way of conveying its gratitude to Christian community since they reportedly helped the party win in Thrissur. The party had been trying to woo the community for a while.
Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi had met eight top leaders of Kerala churches, including the head of the Syro-Malabar church in April 2023.
According to the 2011 Census, 18.4 percent of the total population of Kerala are Christians.
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