Alphons Joseph Kannanthanam or K. J. Alphons (born 8 August 1953) is an Indian civil servant, advocate, and politician. He is the former Union Minister of State for Culture, and Tourism, in office since 3 September 2017 to May 2019 under the B.J.P. Government of Narendra Modi.He is also the third ever BJP Rajyasabha MP from Kerala. He is the second BJP Central Minister from Kerala after O. Rajagopal. Alphons Kannanthanam belongs to the 1979 batch of the Indian Administrative Service (I.A.S.), Kerala cadre. He served as Commissioner of the Delhi Development Authority. Alphons was born in Manimala, Kottayam district, Kerala, India, and was a Left Democratic Front supported independent Member of the Legislative Assembly for Kanjirappally constituency in Kottayam district, Kerala from 2006 to 2011. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2011.He is also the first ever BJP Central Minister from Pathanamthitta (Lok Sabha constituency).
