Senior Congress leader AK Antony said the BJP gaining foothold in Kerala is a concern.
As Kerala votes today in the first phase of the local body polls, seen as the semi-final before assembly elections next year, the growing visibility of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has turned the elections - so far, a fight between the Left and Congress-led coalitions - into a triangular contest.
"BJP's electoral mandate is not a concern in Kerala but it gaining a foothold is a concern as it will shatter the social harmony of the state", said senior Congress leader and former union minister AK Antony.
The BJP, which came a distant third in the last civic body polls in 2010, has fielded its largest number of candidates this time - around 15,000 - as a strategy to increase their presence and the probability of victory. "Our strategy is to increase our presence in the run-up to the Assembly elections. We will, in any case, emerge number one in Thiruvananthapuram," said BJP's O Rajagopal.
The ruling UDF, which won the panchayat elections in last civic body polls said it is confident of a victory. "UDF is going to win, LDF votes are going to decrease", said Mr Antony.
The coalition, which has been targeted by the Opposition LDF over corruption, received a setback last week after a court ordered more investigations into allegations that state Finance Minister KM Mani, also a key Congress ally, accepted a bribe of Rs one crore promising to renew bar licences last year.
For the Left Democratic Front, which swept the elections to municipal corporations in the last local body polls, a victory is crucial. The Left alliance has lost consecutively in all the last three Assembly by-elections in the state. "We are certain of our victory in these elections", Left leader and lawmaker MA Baby said.
Seven districts are voting in the first phase today. The polls in the remaining seven districts - Alappuzha, Thrissur, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Malappuram and Palakkad - will be held in the second phase, on November 5.
Counting of votes take place on November 7.