Bengaluru: This could be one prediction just impossible to make, though there is a Rs 1 crore prize to be bagged. And considering the number of pre-poll surveys and exit polls which have gone terribly wrong in the past, a winner will have to literally reach for the stars ...and the gods to get his prediction true.
At a time when political pundits are sweating it out to make sure they get their numbers on the Lok Sabha poll results right, one state organisation is trying to prove (or disprove) that the answer lies in the stars. Hoping to de-bunk astrology once and for all, the Akhila Karnataka Vichara vadigala Sangha (AKVS) has offered Rs one crore to any astrolo ger in the country who is able to correctly predict the results of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The contest, however, comes with certain rules. Entries with the election outcome foretold must reach the association office by 5 pm May 20 in a sealed envelope along with the demand draft for the security deposit of Rs 10,000.
While any astrologer from any part of the country can participate, he will have to give the organisation a security deposit of Rs 10,000 to prevent duplicate entries. The winner will get his deposit back and also the prize money.
If more than one person makes a correct prediction, the prize money will be equally distributed among them. A committee of experts will monitor the whole process.
And here comes the catch. The competitors will not only have to correctly predict the number of seats each party will win but also the number of seats independent candidates will win, and the number of seats each political party will win in Karnataka. President of the AKVS, Narasimhamurthy admits it's all about debunking astrology. "We want to help put a stop to superstitious beliefs and practices by challenging individuals, who claim to have supernatural powers. It is now their duty to accept the challenge and prove that astrology is true," he said.
Although the organisation hasn't received any entries as yet, it is confident it will soon.
