'BJP likely to win next assembly polls'

JAIPUR: Clad in starched white kurta pyjama, Pandit Kedar Sharma welcomes visitors with a warm smile at his Mansarovar residence.
Not one to be dismissed as just another astrologer, he first asks them to write their date and time of birth on a piece of paper, and keep it with themselves. After doing some calculations on his fingers, a minute later, he comes up with the exact date and time of birth.Quite used to the zapped look on the faces of his visitors, Sharma, with a twinkle in eyes, also gets the place of birth right.
At ease with his unique ability, Sharma says that till date none of his predictions have gone wrong. In 2008, he had predicted that Hillary Clinton, former First Lady of the US, will lose out on the chance to be the Democrat’s presidential candidate.
The sheer accuracy of his predictions makes him stand out. For instance, in 2008 assembly elections, Sharma had predicted that state Congress heavyweight C P Joshi would be defeated by just a vote. Many had scoffed at him then. However, when the results were out, Sharma was proved right.
“I don’t claim to be God. I’m human, and prone to errors, but so far, all my predictions have come true,” says Sharma, and adds that he doesn’t charge anything for offering his services. “This is part of my sadhana, I don’t pursue it as my profession,” he clarifies.
Sharma is an economics professor at a city college. Juggling with two diverse subjects, he says, “Be it economics or astrology, it’s all about numbers.”
Shifting gears, he says the present situation is grim. A scam-tainted country such as ours would need several Lokpal-like agitations to clean the muck. “Anna Hazare, despite several sit-ins will not be able to bring about the desired change,” says Sharma.
The man also prophesizes Priyanka Gandhi’s foray into active politics. “Congress may have to finally bring Priyanka to the fore to infuse some energy within the party ranks,” he says. According to him, brother Rahul in all likelihood will be elected as the party president, but Priyanka will have brighter political prospects in the long run.
However, for the next general elections, Sharma predicts the return of BJP-led coalition government at the Centre. “In Rajasthan too, BJP will win the next assembly elections,” he says.
A much-sought after astrologer by the likes of Kumar Mangalam Birla, Kapil Sibal, Clintons, Ambanis, Sharma maintains the good-humouredness while talking to common people too. “The problem arises when someone expects me to treat his ailing mother, or sister. I have to tell them that I’m no doctor. Astrology is often punctured with superstition,” he laments.