Chennai, Jan 3 (IANS): The ruling DMK is expecting a massive landslide victory in the ensuing urban local body (ULB) polls, according to sources in the party.

The DMK which had a landslide victory in the recent rural body elections for the nine districts is now expecting a repeat of the same performance.

Sources in the DMK told IANS that the party district secretaries have already communicated to the Chief Minister that the party should not press for a direct election to the post of chiefs of ULBs even as the alliance partners of the party -- CPI and MDMK -- has called for direct elections. The DMK is preferring indirect elections to these posts.

Elections for 21 corporations, 138 municipalities, and 490 town panchayaths are likely to take place in two phases by February.

The Supreme court had earlier ordered the completion of the ULB elections by December 2021 but the government had given an affidavit that due to Covid and losses in extreme rains it needs a couple of months more to conduct the polls.

The state election commission has already commenced preparations for the ULBs with the Electronic Voting Machines verification and first level checking of the machines have been conducted in districts like Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Cuddalure and Chennai with the representatives of political parties.

For the election to the councillor, mayor, chairman and town panchayath president separately, each polling booth requires two EVMs. There is a statutory requirement of that each district should have a spare of 20 per cent of EVMs for conducting elections.

State election commission officials clarified that it is equipped to conduct elections and is waiting for the nod from the state government for the same.