"The Congress party, after extensive consultations, has decided to support the candidature of Abdul Kalam for the highest office of president of India," Congress party spokesman S. Jaipal Reddy told reporters in New Delhi.

The incumbent, Kocheril Raman Narayanan, is due to complete his five-year term on July 24.

India's ruling coalition, led by the Hindu nationalist BJP party, named Kalam as a candidate on Monday after hectic negotiations between the government and the opposition failed to arrive at a consensus candidate.

The Congress party's announcement ensures that Kalam will succeed Narayanan, though his candidature is opposed by India's Communist parties.

India has a special electoral college that votes for the president, which includes members of state legislative assemblies and the lower house of parliament.

Kalam is seen as a "politically correct choice" as he belongs to the minority Muslim community.

"Missile Man" Kalam, who started his life selling newspapers, has worked in India's key defence and space centres for the past 43 years. He retired in November last year.

From 1983 until his retirement, Kalam headed India's ambitious Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme to develop an array of weapons, including short, medium and ballistic missiles.

Speaking to reporters in southern Madras city, an overwhlemed Kalam thanked the politicians for choosing him.

"So many phone calls, e-mails and media reports are pouring in continuously from Monday onwards after the announcement of my candidature for the president of India," he said. "I am really overwhelmed."

Kalam is serving as emeritus professor at the Anna Technology University in Madras.

"Everywhere, both in Internet and in other media, I have been asked for a message. I was thinking what message I can give to the people of our country at this point of time," he said.

"The post of President of India indeed reflects the integrated aspirations of the nation," Kalam said.

"A famous Indian thought which is apt and reflects the mood of the nation -- whatever happened has happened for the good; whatever is happening is happening for the good; whatever will happen will happen for the good."

Emerging from his last lecture at the university, the missile expert read from a prepared text, added a few words on his ongoing projects but politely declined to answer any questions.

Dressed in a blue shirt, grey pants and plain slippers, Kalam said, "My days here (at the Anna University) were the happiest."

His greatest mission, he added, was to teach 100,000 children. He said he has already taught around 40,000.

earlier related report
India's Ruling BJP Party Proposes "Missile Man" For President
New Delhi (AFP) June 10, 2002
Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee proposed Monday that the artchitect of India's ballistic missile program, Abdul Kalam, be the nation's new president, reports said.

Television channel NDTV News reported Vajpayee met opposition leader Sonia Gandhi to seek her Congress Party's support for Kalam's nomination.

"During the meeting Vajpayee said the government had made up its mind to field noted scientist Abdul Kalam for the country's top post," NDTV News said.

Gandhi reportedly told Vajpayee that she would "hold consultations with her senior colleagues" before deciding to back Kalam or put forward her own candidate.

If India's ruling Hindu nationalist-led BJP coalition and the opposition fail to arrive at a consensus then presidential elections will take place on July 15.

There is a special electoral college that votes for the president, which includes members of state legislative assemblies and the lower house of parliament.

Vajpayee's new nomination follows the Congress Party firmly rejecting the BJP's earlier choices of Maharashtra state governor P.C Alexander and current vice president Krishna Kant, saying it would nominate its own candidate instead -- incumbent president K.R Narayanan.

The BJP is opposed to the idea of giving Narayanan a second term.

After her meeting with Vajpayee, Gandhi told reporters that her party had been given a new name and "was mulling over the choice".

Kalam is seen as a "politically correct choice" as he belongs to the minority Muslim community and could help heal recent high tensions with the majority Hindus.

The western state of Gujarat, ruled by the Hindu nationalist BJP party, witnessed India's worst Hindu-Muslim clashes in a decade this year, with more than 1,000 people killed in the riots, mostly Muslims.

The violence was triggered when an allegedly Muslim mob torched a train carrying Hindu activists in Gujarat's Godhra town on February 27, killing 58.

"Missile Man" Kalam, who started his life selling newspapers, has worked in India's key defence and space centres for the past 43 years. He retired in November last year.

From 1983 until his retirement Kalam headed India's ambitious Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) to develop an array of missiles including short, medium and ballistic missiles.

India conducted a string of nuclear blasts in May 1998 and said the tests included a thermo-nuclear device and nuclear weapons meant for the battlefield.

Pakistan conducted rival tests in 1998, prompting the United States to impose a raft of nuclear sanctions on the two South Asian adversaries, who have fought three wars since 1947. Most of the sanctions were lifted in September.

After his retirement, Kalam has devoted his time to training the next generation, with the goal of bringing 100,000 young Indians into the scientific community by 2020.

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