Aug 29, Colombo: The leader of Sri Lanka's major Tamil constituent Tamil National Alliance (TNA) R. Sampanthan says that the party will negotiate with other parties to forge an alliance to form the provincial government of the Eastern Provincial Council in case of loss of a majority.

TNA sources say that the party has focused mainly to form an alliance with the Tamil speaking Muslim political party Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) which is powerful in Ampara and Batticaloa districts.

TNA already has formed a relationship with the major opposition United National Party (UNP) in national politics. The two parties joined to hold the May Day rally in Jaffna this year.

Eastern Provincial Council has 16 seats for which 16 political parties and 16 independent groups contest.

Eastern Provincial Council was ruled by the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) party supported by the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA).