With three important Tamil parties announcing their loyalties for the sitting President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and a few others to the Presidential contender Sarath Fonseka ,the chances of a third contender in the form of a consensus Tamil candidate are fast receding.<br/><br/>Last week, the Democratic Peoples Front (DPF) leader, Mano Ganeshan had said that his party would either back General (retd.) Fonseka or field a common Tamil candidate, giving hope to possibilities of Tamil parties fielding their own candidate for the forthcoming Presidential election.<br/><br/>People’s Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), a militant group turned political outfit was the first to announce its alignment with the sitting President. Today the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) leader and Social Welfare, Douglas Devananda made it known that his party has decided to support President Rajapaksa for a second term.<br/><br/>Earlier the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC), a pre-dominant party of the Indian-origin Tamils in the hill districts threw its weight behind the President.<br/><br/>The Chief Minister of Eastern Province and chief of Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), Sivenesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pilyan met President Rajapaksa today and discussed the upcoming Presidential elections. TMVP is the breakaway group of the LTTE which had joined the political mainstream earlier and came to political power with the help of the present government.. There are indications that in all likelihood Pilyan is likely to support President Rajpaksa.<br/><br/>Tamil National Alliance, a pro LTTE alliance, however, is yet to reveal its mind on the issue.<br/>