INDIA: POLITICIANS TEAM UP WITH ASTROLGERS FOR POLLS AN INTER PRESS SERVICE FEATURE

NEW DELHI, NOV 15, Nov 15 (IPS) - INDIAN POLITICIANS HAVE HIT THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL TO WOO NOT ONLY NOTORIOUSLY FICKLE VOTERS, BUT ALSO ASTROLOGERS AND HOLY MEN TO ENSURE SUCCESS IN CRUCIAL STATE ASSEMBLY POLLS OVER THE NEXT SIX WEEKS.

PRIME MINISTER NARASIMHA RAO, WHOSE CONGRESS PARTY IS BANKING ON SUCCESS IN THE FOUR STATE ASSEMBLIES OF GOA, SIKKIM, KARNATAKA AND ANDHRA PRADESH TO SPRUCE UP ITS SAGGING IMAGE, TRAVELLED SOUTH TO INDIA'S MOST FAMOUS TIRUPATI TEMPLE TO INVOKE LORD VENKATESHARA'S BLESSINGS FOR VICTORY THIS MONTH.

RAO IS GREATLY INFLUENCED BY ASTROLOGY AND NUMEROLOGY AND REPORTEDLY FOLLOWED A COSMIC TIME-TABLE CALCULATED BY 'EXPERTS' DURING A RECENT WHISTLE STOP ELECTION TOUR ACROSS HIS HOME STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH AND NEIGHBOURING KARNATAKA.

AND, IN BETWEEN ADDRESSING ELECTION RALLIES AND CANVASSING VOTES, SCORES OF FELLOW CONGRESSMEN AND OPPOSITION LEADERS TOO ARE BUSY ZIGZAGGING ACROSS INDIA PAYING OBEISANCE TO MENDICANTS, YOGI'S OR RELIGIOUS MEN RENOWNED FOR 'DELIVERING' ELECTORAL VICTORIES IN THE PAST.

THE POLITICALLY INFIRM VIJAY BHASKAR REDDY, CHIEF MINISTER OF ANDHRA PRADESH, THAT GOES TO THE POLLS ON NOV 26, HOWEVER, SEEMS TO HAVE BESTED HIS COLLEAGUES AND RIVALS.

HE ORGANISED A TWO-WEEK LONG 'SHATRU HANAM YAGNA' OR 'ANNIHILATION OF THE ENEMY' PRAYER MEETING PRESIDED OVER BY SCORES OF HOLY MEN CHANTING PRAYERS AROUND A FIRE. HE CLAIMS IT HAS PAID DIVIDENDS AS HE HAS SUCCESSFULLY NEUTERED DISSENT WITHIN HIS OWN PARTY.

OTHER POLITICIANS ARE BUSY CONSULTING THEIR PRIVATE RETINUE OF ASTROLOGERS, PALMISTS, NUMEROLOGISTS OR OCCULTISTS. MANY DO NOT MOVE WITHOUT THESE CELESTIAL GUIDES MAPPING OUT ELABORATE TIME- TABLES THAT HARMONISE WITH AUSPICIOUS PLANETARY CONFIGURATIONS.

"THE GREATER THE UNCERTAINTY, THE MORE THE NEED FOR ASTROLOGERS AS GUIDES INTO THE UNKNOWN," SAYS AN ASTROLOGER WHO CLAIMS TO HAVE GUIDED "SENIOR MINISTERS THROUGH THE MAZE OF INDIAN POLITICS AND ELECTIONS" IN THE ERA OF UNCERTAIN MAJORITIES AND COALITION GOVERNMENTS.

ALTHOUGH JAWAHARLAL NEHRU, INDIA'S FIRST PRIME MINISTER RIDICULED ASTROLOGERS, SUCCEEDING PREMIERS -- HIS DAUGHTER INDIRA GANDHI AND GRANDSON RAJIV INCLUDED -- HAVE BEEN AMONG THEIR MOST WILLING CLIENTS.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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