Soothsayer, soothe me! Will I win? At least reclaim election deposit?

CHENNAI: Politicians generally make bad fortune-tellers, say policy analysts. But in a country where divination is as real as divinity, politicians and fortune-tellers make for easy bedfellows.

So it isn't really surprising that after sweating it out in the scorching sun on the campaign trail, several contestants are discreetly pussyfooting it to the doors of soothsayers, hoping a wad of notes may buy them good tidings on their chances when the state goes to vote on May 16.

But the demand for fortune-tellers has hit the roof this election in Tamil Nadu, astrologers report. “At least the demand is no less than it has been during elections in the state in the recent past,“ says Chennai-based astrologer C N R Srikanth, who observes with great amusement that “at times candidates from rival parties contesting from the same constituency approach the same soothsayer to see who will emerge victorious“.

Another astrologer in the city, Shelvi, says politicians call on fortune-tellers because they're itching to know if they will win. “Based on date of birth, polling day and planetary positions, we predict what may happen in an election,“ he said. “If the time is not in their favour, we advise them to visit temples and do special pujas.“

Then there are some fortune-tellers who should perhaps consider a career in politics themselves. Take Tiruvanmiyur-based soothsayer Shivakumar, who doubles up as an expert in `nadi astrology'. “If I understand that my client may lose the election after analysing his horoscope,“ he says, “I subtly suggest that he nominate another person in his place.“

On the flip side, some astrologers would rather not have politicians as clients. These soothsayers say some candidates promise them big sums of money at a later date and never keep their promises. Others say they just take up too much of their time in their anxiousness to know their electoral fortunes.

BJP national secretary and T Nagar candidate H Raja disagrees with the whole hokum. “Aspirants may visit astrologers. But we choose candidates only on their seniority and popularity,“ he says.