New Delhi: Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on Monday opted out of what could have turned out to be a high-profile presidential election against the ruling coalition’s nominee Pranab Mukherjee.

Under pressure from the principal opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Trinamool Congress, a constituent of India’s ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA), Abdul Kalam announced that he has decided not to contest the next month’s presidential election after considering totality of the matter and the present political situation.

“…I have never aspired to serve another term or shown interest in contesting the election… I’ve considered the totality of the matter and the present political situation and decided not to contest the presidential election 2012,” Abdul Kalam said in a statement issued by his office.

Abdul Kalam, predecessor of the outgoing President Pratibha Patil, was named as their nominee by the Trinamool Congress and the Samajwadi Party, which extends support to the Congress party-led UPA government last week. Samajwadi Party, however, subsequently made a U-turn announcing its support to Mukherjee, ensuring Abdul Kalam could enter a losing battle and risk embarrassment.

BJP which along with the Samajwadi Party was behind the popular scientist’s election as President in 2002, however, continued its endeavour to get Abdul Kalam agree to enter the fray. It sent its emissary Sudheendra Kulkarni to Abdul Kalam on Saturday while its senior most leader Lal Krishna Advani called up Abdul Kalam twice before the former President officially announced that he was not interested in running for another term in the office.

Abdul Kalam acknowledged in his statement that political parties and citizens had urged him to contest the election and thanked them for their love and affection saying he was overwhelmed by the support.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee who was aggressively wooing Abdul Kalam to contest is now left to take the final call on whether to support Mukherjee or abstain from voting, the BJP’s core group was slated to meet at its national president Nitin Gadkari’s residence last night to decide whether to let Mukherjee be elected unopposed or extend their support to the former Lok Sabha speaker Purno A Sangma who continues to claim he is very much in the race to become the first ever tribal President of India.

Sangma, backed by the Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik and his Tamil Nadu counterpart J. Jayalalithaa, continues to be definite despite threats of disciplinary action by his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) which is a constituent of the UPA government.

“We have full faith in Sangma that he will fulfil the promise of abiding by the party decision and support the UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee in the Presidential Election 2012,” NCP General Secretary D.P. Tripathi said.

In case the BJP, which is itching for a fight with its arch-rival Congress party ahead of 2014 general elections, decide to back Sangma, it may risk one of its key allies Janata Dal (United) going against it. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, the most powerful JD (U) leader on Saturday once against indicated that he was in favour of supporting Mukherjee saying “the President should be elected by consensus.”

Mukherjee who is the federal finance minister is expected to resign from the post on July 24 and file his nomination for July 19 election the next day. Incumbent President Patil is slated to retire from the post on July 25.