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Former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam on Friday said that leaders of various political outfits have asked him to serve as the next President of India, but added that he would take an appropriate decision on this issue at the right time. "Many political leaders have spoken to me. They want me to serve as the President. They all contacted me. I respect their views. However, I will take the right decision at the right time," Kalam told media in Patna. Kalam is scheduled to attend two separate functions in the city today. West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee, who has been at loggerheads with the ruling Congress Party over the presidential candidate, has strongly pitched for A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for the coveted post, and indicated that in case no consensus emerges on his candidature there will be a contest. "Kalam is our and Mulayam Singh Yadav's number one candidate. Don't say he is a BJP candidate, or Navin's (Patnaik) candidate or Mamata's candidate... Kalam was our candidate. He will be the best candidate," Banerjee told media in New Delhi on Thursday. "Who can say that we will not support Kalam? Even in a direct election, the people of the country will support him," she added, while maintaining that there should be a consensus on Kalam's name, Insisting that Kalam is a candidate who holds the position and stature required for the top post, Banerjee said: "We want a consensus on Kalam." "If Congress agrees, well... else we will go according to our choice," she added, when asked if the ruling Congress Party does not agree to Kalam's candidature. Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inviting Kalam over lunch has further fuelled speculation that the NDA may also back him for the president's post. Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), is a crucial constituent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and runs a coalition government in the state with the latter. Abdul Kalam served as the 11th President of India, succeeding K. R. Narayanan. He won the 2002 presidential election with an electoral vote of 922,884, surpassing 107,366 votes won by Lakshmi Sahgal. He served from July 25, 2002 to July 24, 2007. Kalam was succeeded by Pratibha Devisingh Patil, whose term as President of India ends on July 24.

Abdul Kalam undecided on returning to Rashtrapati Bhavan