BJP's divisive politics won't work in Kerala: Congress

The Congress on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah of pursuing divisive politics but said this won't click in Kerala.

"They did this in other parts of the country where they divided people on communal lines. They are trying a similar strategy here but that's not going to work," Congress leader and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said.

Chennithala was speaking to reporters here ahead of the local body elections of November 2 and 5.

"The BJP is trying to replicate their success in other states, where they turned one against the other by playing communal and caste cards," he said.

In Kerala, V. Natesan, general secretary of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Sangom and an influential Hindu Ezahva leader, has been moving closer to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"Anyone is free to form a political party and nothing prevents Natesan from forming one. If they (BJP and Natesan) join forces, they will both end on the losing side as the people of Kerala do not think on communal and caste lines," said Chennithala.

"The Congress-led UDF will ... never play the politics of hatred," he said.