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Mangalore, May 14: The stakes in state assembly elections this time are high not only for politicians but also for astrologers.

Rationalist and Federation of Indian Rationalist Association (FIRA) president Prof Narendra Nayak has increased the reward money offered to astrologers with maximum correct predictions on assembly elections from Rs one lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

In the previous Parliament and assembly elections 2004, Prof Narendra Nayak’s offer of cash reward Rs one lakh had received responses from 29 astrologers across the state.

Out of the total 25 predictions made, a maximum number of six predictions were found accurate. “None among them had predicted Manmohan Singh would be next Prime Minister,” Prof Nayak told this website's newspaper.

Most predictions, as he knew would be, were way off the mark. “One astrologer predicted that Jayalalitha would be next Prime Minister,” he informs with a chuckle.

Since 1980 he has been challenging astrologers to make correct predictions on elections based on planetary positions. The sight of candidates consulting astrologers every step in 1980 got him to think of a contest that would surely expose the fragilities in forecasts.

As like in past, Prof Nayak has posed 25 questions related to number of seats likely to be bagged by political parties in the husting and who would be next chief minister.

Nayak has listed names of 17 key candidates in fray and an astrologer has to predict the number of votes each would poll.

The conditions for astrologers include they must refrain from mentioning range and entries should reach organiser - Prof Nayak, FIRA 13-9-1220/2, Vithoba Temple Road, Mangalore 575001- before counting of votes begins. Since 1980 never did an occasion arose, where Nayak had to part with the prize money.

In fact he treasures all the letters with astrological predictions, because they always provide comic relief to him.