BJP's prime ministerial candidate L K Advani had thought of calling it a day in politics when he turned 80 in November last year.
Disclosing this in a television interview, the Leader of the Opposition said he contemplated retirement because he felt he had achieved a lot in public life.
Advani told NDTV that the thought of announcing retirement from politics came to his mind when he started writing his memoirs My Country My Life.
"When I started writing the book, somewhere at the back of my mind was that I had hoped that it would be over much before November 2007 when I complete 80 and may be I make an announcement," he said.
Asked whether he meant retirement, he said, "That is right. Retiring from politics."
On what prompted the thought of retirement, he said, "I had achieved a lot in public life, achieved a lot in politics."
"What I have written in the book, when I completed, it gave me a sense of fulfillment. I did say to some friends that one should retire when he is in good health," he said.
Advani said the thought about retirement came again when he was announced as the party's Prime Ministerial candidate in December last year but he felt doing so at that point of time would not be in the party's interest.
