George Kurian resigns as Union Minister after his Rajya Sabha term ends

Kurian, who served as the minister of State for Minority Affairs, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, was the only Christian minister in the government. His term ended on June 21. His resignation was accepted with immediate effect by the president , a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said on Tuesday. National Democratic Alliance (NDA ) functionaries indicated he might receive organizational responsibilities in his home state.

He had been elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha in August 2024 from Madhya Pradesh for the remaining term of the seat vacated by Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. The Rajya Sabha term of another minister of state, Ravneet Singh Bittu, ended on Sunday. He too, might step down as the BJP did not grant him a fresh term in the Upper House.

Hours after Kurien resigned, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on President Droupadi Murmu, fuelling speculations of an imminent reallocation of portfolios in the Union Cabinet. The third Narendra Modi-led NDA government, which was formed on June 9, 2024 and completed two years, is yet to see a cabinet reshuffle.