More than a dozen parliamentarians from India's five southern states were inducted on June 9 in the Council of Ministers led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
From Kerala, Suresh Gopi, the lone BJP Lok Sabha MP in the state, and senior party leader George Kurian became ministers for the first time.
Kurian's inclusion despite not being an MP is seen as the BJP's attempt to reach out to the Christian community.
Kurian belongs to the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, one of the most prominent Christian churches in Kerala.
He has been with the BJP since its formation in 1980 and is often picked up to translate the speeches of Modi and Amit Shah during the party’s public events in the state.
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