A 20-year-old BJP worker in Kerala was reportedly hacked to death during a festival at Kokkulangara temple near the city late Sunday night.

A 20-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker in Kerala was reportedly stabbed to death during a festival at Kokkulangara temple near the Thrissur city late Sunday night, reported The Times of India. Another person, Thomas, 29, who is critically injured in the attack, has been hospitalised.

The deceased has been identified as Nirmal who was killed after a tussle during celebrations at a temple, sources told CNN-News18. Police sources told News18 that they suspect personal rivalry behind the act and more can be said only after the investigation.

According to ANI, The BJP state unit has alleged that CPM workers are behind the murder of Nirmal, and have called for a strike in Thrissur district on Monday.

Even though the victim was taken to the hospital by police and neighbours, he had succumbed to injuries by then, The Indian Express was reported as saying.

The murder comes barely a month after another BJP worker was killed in Kerala's Andalur. C Santhosh, 52, was hacked to death allegedly by members of the CPM in January. There has been a surge in the number of violent conflicts between the BJP-RSS and the CPM over the past few months.