Veteran BJP leader George Kurian resigned from the Union Council of Ministers on Tuesday after his Rajya Sabha tenure came to an end and the party chose not to renominate him.

Kurian, who held the minority affairs and fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying portfolios as minister of state, had joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third government in June 2024.

“The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, has accepted the resignation of Shri George Kurian from the Union Council of Ministers, with immediate effect, under clause (2) of Article 75 of the Constitution,” Rashtrapati Bhavan said in a statement.

Kurian entered Parliament in August 2024, when he was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh in a bypoll. He filled the seat vacated by Jyotiraditya Scindia after the latter was elected to the Lok Sabha.

Since Kurian was elected only for the remainder of Scindia’s term, his tenure in the Upper House ended in June 2026.

His name did not figure in the BJP’s list of candidates for the latest Rajya Sabha elections. The party instead fielded other candidates from Madhya Pradesh, leaving Kurian without a seat in either House of Parliament.

Under Article 75 of the Constitution, a minister who is not a member of either House of Parliament can remain in office for up to six consecutive months. Kurian, however, stepped down soon after his Rajya Sabha tenure ended.

Who is George Kurian?

Born on September 20, 1960, in Kerala’s Kottayam district, Kurian has been associated with the BJP since its formation in 1980.

The 65-year-old leader has held several organisational positions in the party and has been involved in its attempts to expand its presence among Kerala’s Christian and minority communities.

Kurian studied law and later practised as an advocate in the Supreme Court. Before becoming a Union minister, he had also served as vice-chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities.

He was inducted into the Modi government on June 9, 2024, despite not being a member of Parliament at the time. He was subsequently elected to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh to meet the constitutional requirement for continuing as a minister.

His resignation follows the BJP’s decision not to give him another parliamentary term, bringing his nearly two-year stint in the Union government to an end.

Published on: Jun 23, 2026 10:23 AM IST