Patna, June 14: Nitish Kumar extended a warm welcome to APJ Abdul Kalam at the Patna airport this evening — a gesture that sparked off speculations about the Bihar chief minister’s “choice” of the next President soon after his Bengal counter-part Mamata Banerjee announced the missile scientist’s name as one of the presidential candidates.

Nitish, accompanied by senior officers like the principal secretary, cabinet, Ravikant and Patna commissioner K.P. Ramaiyah, offered flowers to the former President as the latter landed at the airport in a service flight at 7.40pm.

What apparently added spice to the speculations in the political circles here was the “one-to-one talk” between Kalam and Nitish for over five minutes at the airport. The two leaders, however, did not share their conversation with the media. Sources close to the chief minister said: “Nitishji has high respect for Kalam. The two leaders had an informal discussion about the personal well being of each other. They did not discuss the presidential polls.”

All that Kalam had to say to the reporters was: “It’s hot in Patna but hotter in Delhi.”

Kalam arrived here on a pre-scheduled visit. He is scheduled to inaugurate a newly built information centre at Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology. He is also scheduled to address over 2,500 students at a function as a part of his “What can I give you” campaign tomorrow.

Asked if the CM wished to support Kalam, a Nitish aide said: “Nitishji has been stating that the Congress should declare its candidate first. He has also stated that his party would like to have the President with consensus. He has stuck to what he has said.”