New York, March 19, Mitt Romney's confident campaign infiltrating well in the voters amid his intensifying calls publicly and privately for his Republican counterpart to concede defeat in the heating up presidential nomination drive, even prior to the important Illinois day peoples have their say Tuesday in the campaign's next crucial contest.

Mitt Romney extended his delegate lead in Puerto Rico on Sunday, where he outnumbered his opponent Rick Santorum and received all 20 of the Caribbean island's delegates.

Romney has got the support of more delegates than his opponents combined and is all set to win the delegate support in Illinois, even if he loses the popular vote, thanks to missteps by Santorum's shoestring operation.

Ann who is wife of Mitt Romney, said on Sunday night in suburban Illinois that the time has come for her husband's rivals to quit the battle.

"We need to send a message that it's time to coalesce," she said, Mitt at her side. "It's time to get behind one candidate and get the job done so we can move on to the next challenge, bringing us one step closer to defeating Barack Obama."

Brushing aside skepticism from the party's right flank, Mitt Romney aides have been highlighting their overwhelming numerical advantage in the race to much needed 1,144 delegates the magical figure needed to get the GOP presidential nomination and face Current President Barack Obama in the year end election.

Santorum has total but conceded he cannot get enough delegates to win, but believes that he was in contest for the long haul because Mitt Romney is a weak opponent.

Santorum further said on Monday that he'll "go out and compete in every state," calling Illinois a "two-person race."

"What I've said is, I think it's going to be very difficult as this goes on for anybody to get that magic number" to clinch the nomination, Santorum said in an interview on CBS's "This Morning."

He said Romney a "big-government heavyweight," responding on MSNBC Monday to the Massachusetts governor's assertion that he couldn't match up on economic expertise. Santorum told CBS he thinks the chances of a brokered GOP convention in August "are increasing."

In across the country broadcasted remarks on Sunday, Santorum sidestepped when asked if he would fight Mitt Romney on the convention floor if he failed before August to stop the former Massachusetts governor from getting the needed number of delegates.

Mitt Romney aides privately likened the situation to the Black Knight in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" who loses his arms and legs in battle with King Arthur but insists he has only a flesh wound. Mitt Romney camp suggested that Tuesday's performance would extend Romney's delegate advantage, even if he loses the popular vote in upcoming count.

Santorum don't have potential to score win at least ten of the state's fifty four delegates because his campaign failed to file the paperwork.

One Mitt Romney aide recently revealed i t would take "an act of God" for Santorum to earn enough delegates to prevail.

"Mitt's going to do well," said Romney's Illinois chairman Dan Rutherford, the state treasurer. "I think he will do better than the other three people. ... But my focus is on the delegates because that's really what the game is all about."

Polls suggest the Illinois race is almost close. And even at a Mitt Romney campaign stop Sunday, voters were seen divided.

"I'm leaning toward Santorum, but I wanted to hear him in person," said Nichole Warren, a 32-year-old stay-at-home mom from nearby South Beloit. "I hear (Romney) talk and I hear a lot of Obama in him, and that scares me."

But Sid Haffenden, a 61-year-old retired toll-way worker, said, "Santorum has too much baggage." He added, "I want a businessman."

Santorum is not giving up here despite of his poor show. He will spend Monday and Tuesday courting Illinois voters. Santorum plans to host 4 important rallies Monday.

While offering a confident front, Mitt Romney adjusted his campaign plans by reducing his efforts in Puerto Rico over the weekend to spend additional time with Illinois voters. He arrived Saturday night and plans to stay in the state through Tuesday night to mobilize the voters.

At this rate, Romney is on pace to capture the nomination in June unless Santorum or former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is able to win decisively in the coming contests.