People's Prez open to second term

New Delhi: President APJ Abdul Kalam has finally bowed in the face of overwhelming public love and support for him and agreed to take up the post of President for another term. The President has a condition though, that there has to be certainty before he says yes to join the race.
"As there is overwhelming love from people from across the country, I am willing to go for a second term if there is certainity. However, I am willing to wait for a few days," President Kalam told a delegation of Third Front leaders on Wednesday when they called on him to persuade the former nuclear scientist to join the race.
After days of media speculation about Kalam's reluctance to take up the post for a second term, the President finally made his stand clear when leaders of the Third Front called on him to persuade him to seek a second term in the top post.
Kalam is ready for a second term "if there is certainty," Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu was quoted by PTI as saying after the meeting.
Asked to elaborate what he meant by certainty, Naidu said: "Your draw your own conclusions. It includes everything."
While political pundits were still trying to read between the lines to draw inference from these words, some tried to interpret the words and say that Kalam is indeed willing to continue if there is political consensus around his name.
This, however, looks a distant possibility now considering the fact that the UPA-Left combine has already started the process of fielding Pratibha Patil for the election.
Buoyed by Kalam's positive response, the UNPA immediately launched a campaign, reaching out to both the NDA and UPA camps in an effort to build consensus in support of Kalam.
Top UNPA leader and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu even approached Sonia Gandhi asking support for Kalam. The UPA chairman, however, is believed to have declined the appeal. Naidu, however, is likely to hold a second round of meeting with Sonia Gandhi sometime soon.
The UNPA leaders also called on former prime minister and senior BJP leader Atal Behari Vajpayee, asking his for support on Kalam. Vajpayee is believed to have told the Third Front leaders that he wants all attempts to be made in favour of Kalam's nomination.