At the end of his term, on 20 June 2007, Kalam stated he was willing to consider a second term in office if he was the unanimous choice. This was not so, and hence he backed off from the contest as he wanted to avoid involving the Rashtrapati Bhavan in any political controversies.
Nearing the expiry of the term of the 12th president Pratibha Patil on 24th July 2012, media reports claimed that Kalam would be nominated for a second term as the president. After the reports, social networking sites witnessed a huge support from people for his candidature. On 18 June 2012, Kalam declined to contest the 2012 presidential poll. He said of his decision:
“Many, many citizens have also expressed the same wish. It only reflects their love and affection for me and the aspiration of the people. I am really overwhelmed by this support. This being their wish, I respect it. I want to thank them for the trust they have in me.”
Picture Credit : Google
