Thiruvananthapuram | Senior BJP leader George Kurian, after his resignation as Union Minister of State was accepted, said that only because Narendra Modi became prime minister, he was able to find a place in the Council of Ministers in the Union government.

In a deeply personal Facebook post on Tuesday, Kurian said it was an opportunity he had "never imagined, not even in my dreams".

Using his farewell message to place the spotlight firmly on the Prime Minister's role in his elevation to the ministry, Kurian said he was informed that President Droupadi Murmu had accepted his resignation.

Sharing a photograph of himself and the Prime Minister enjoying a light-hearted moment, Kurian, regarded as the only Christian member of the Union ministry, said he personally thanked Modi for the opportunity when they met on June 22, and he submitted his resignation.

His Rajya Sabha term ended on June 21, but he said he was able to meet the prime minister only the following day.

"I had never imagined, not even in my dreams, that I would become a Union Minister. It was only because Narendra Modi became Prime Minister that I was given the opportunity to serve as a Union Minister," he wrote.

Kurian served as Minister of State for Minority Affairs and also held the additional charge of Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

The BJP had decided not to renominate him to the Rajya Sabha in the recent elections, bringing his parliamentary tenure to an end.