Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala BJP general secretary George Kurien's ministerial berth in the third Narendra Modi government is indeed a reward for a loyal party worker who has been active in the saffron party movement after the Emergency in the late 1970s.
He has been with BJP since its inception in 1980.
Hailing from Kerala's Kottayam district, Kurien, a committed BJP worker who has kept the party flag high through ups and downs, has never been identified with any faction of the saffron party in the state.
Enjoying good relations with many national leaders of the BJP, Kurien held almost all key positions of the state party, such as vice president and general secretary, for many years.
Committed to the core ideology of the BJP, Kurien was in the state leadership of the BJP youth wing when it was led by Govindacharya, Pramod Mahajan and Venkaiah Naidu.Kurien, a lawyer by profession, held various positions including National Vice President of Yuva Morcha, Minority Morcha and National Council member of BJP.
Kurien was appointed a member of the National Minorities Commission during the tenure of the first Narendra Modi government. He was later promoted to the post of its Vice President.
He was Officer on Special Duty to O Rajagopal when the veteran leader was the Union Railway Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
The ministerial berth given to Kurien, known for his carefree working style, is also being seen by the saffron party as a message to the Christian community that it wants to further strengthen its bond with them in Kerala.
The party has been keen to expand its base for the past few years by reaching out to Christians, who form about 20 per cent of the population in Kerala.Party leaders have acknowledged the contribution of the Christian community in BJP's landslide electoral victory in the Thrissur seat in the Lok Sabha elections.
Kurien's command over Hindi and English has many times ensured his presence as a translator during important party events attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior ministers in the state.
He has been with BJP since its inception in 1980.
Hailing from Kerala's Kottayam district, Kurien, a committed BJP worker who has kept the party flag high through ups and downs, has never been identified with any faction of the saffron party in the state.
Enjoying good relations with many national leaders of the BJP, Kurien held almost all key positions of the state party, such as vice president and general secretary, for many years.
Committed to the core ideology of the BJP, Kurien was in the state leadership of the BJP youth wing when it was led by Govindacharya, Pramod Mahajan and Venkaiah Naidu.Kurien, a lawyer by profession, held various positions including National Vice President of Yuva Morcha, Minority Morcha and National Council member of BJP.
Kurien was appointed a member of the National Minorities Commission during the tenure of the first Narendra Modi government. He was later promoted to the post of its Vice President.
He was Officer on Special Duty to O Rajagopal when the veteran leader was the Union Railway Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
The ministerial berth given to Kurien, known for his carefree working style, is also being seen by the saffron party as a message to the Christian community that it wants to further strengthen its bond with them in Kerala.
The party has been keen to expand its base for the past few years by reaching out to Christians, who form about 20 per cent of the population in Kerala.Party leaders have acknowledged the contribution of the Christian community in BJP's landslide electoral victory in the Thrissur seat in the Lok Sabha elections.
Kurien's command over Hindi and English has many times ensured his presence as a translator during important party events attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior ministers in the state.
