His wish for “certainty” not backed by numbers, President A P J Abdul Kalam today withdrew from the Presidential race, two days after he said he was open to a second term and was willing to “wait for a few days.”

Kalam’s name was floated by the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA), the recently formed eight-party regional grouping, including ADMK, Samajwadi Party, Indian National Lok Dal and the Telugu Desam Party.

“The President told the delegation (of UNPA leaders which met him today) that after considering their request and reviewing the situation carefully from all angles, he has decided that in the current scenario, he will not be interested in running for the second term as he does not want Rashtrapati Bhavan to become involved in any political process,” Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesman S M Khan said.

Although it called itself a “non-Congress, non-BJP” front, the UNPA got the BJP-led NDA to indicate that it would withdraw its own candidate, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, if Kalam said yes.

However, the Congress was the first to reject Kalam’s candidature for a second term, followed by the Left and then, yesterday, its allies, the RJD and the NCP both said that there was no question of going back on the decision to field former Rajasthan Governor Pratibha Patil.

“The President also told (the UNPA leaders) that his mission in life is to work for development of the country which he will continue to do wherever he will be,” the Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesman said. “The President also thanked the people of India for the overwhelming love and affection towards him.”

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