Thiruvananthapuram: Four Bharatiya Janata Party politicians have resigned from the party on Friday. They have evinced an interest in joining the Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M), the ruling LDF in Kerala.

The resigned leaders are BJP state committee member Vellanad Krishnakumar, party's district leaders Uzhamalakkal Jayakumar, Tholokode Surendran and V Sukumaran. They alleged that the BJP tried to create a divide in society by using the Sabarimala issue.

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"The BJP tried to create a rift in society, exploiting Hindu emotions for electoral gains and it shows their political shallowness," Krishnakumar told reporters. He also alleged that the party has not yet called a state committee meeting to discuss the political situation.

"This shows that the RSS agenda was being imposed on the state using the BJP machinery," Krishnakumar alleged. "In order to maintain the secular fabric of the state and uplift the marginalised communities of Kerala, we need such progressive movements like the CPI(M), the leaders said in a release, adding that they intended to join the Left party.

The indefinite fast by the BJP party leaders in front of the state secretariat, demanding the lifting of prohibitory orders and other restrictions on Sabarimala, is yet to create the desired impact.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address two rallies in Kerala. He would address the Bharatiya Janata Party workers on January 6 at a public meeting in Pathanamthitta. Later, Narendra Modi would return to the state on January 27 to inaugurate a conference of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) in Thrissur. It is reported that these two visits are arranged as part of the BJP campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha election.  
 
The Prime Minister’s visit is expected to give the BJP state leadership a boost, the party is facing serious criticism from various quarters for calling back-to-back hartals on the Sabarimala row. 

BJP state president PS Sreedharan Pillai said, besides the Prime Minister, BJP president Amit Shah would also address BJP workers in Palakkad on December 31.

With PTI inputs