MUMBAI, Oct 30: Indian astrologers are predicting Barack Obama will win the US presidential election by a comfortable margin, but one warned of potentially life-threatening times ahead for the Democratic candidate.

“Obama is 100 pe cent in Leo and Leos are not only born leaders but they have a special charm all of their own,” well-known Indian astrologer Bejan Daruwalla said.

“(Republican candidate) John McCain has good points but he’s nowhere in the picture. He’s miles away. He has been outshadowed by the Leo. He might have been very good in his time but this is not the right time.” Fellow Mumbai astrologer Raj Kumar Sharma also forecast a clear Obama victory in the Nov 4 vote — mirroring the latest opinion poll data that suggests the 47-year-old Illinois senator is out in front.

“The circumstances and conjunction of stars are very clearly indicating that John McCain is going to lose this election and Barack Obama is going to win, at least by 10 per cent,” he said.

But he said he was worried about the weak sun moving into Obama’s chart from April 2010 to January 2011.

“The month from April 5, 2010 to May 16, 2010 is very dangerous for him. I really pray that everything should be all right,” he said.

Daruwalla, who writes a column in the Times of India newspaper, said the United States was in transition after being ruled by comfort-loving Cancer — sign of the outgoing President George W. Bush — and Gemini the communicator.

“America is now ready for a change because America is entering into the age of Aquarius, which means liberal thinking and tolerance. Therefore I think that Obama is the right person in the right place and at the right time,” he said.

CHINESE BACK OBAMA: Barack Obama’s political rise has attracted much support in China, with many people curious to see if a black man can break down perceived racial barriers and become president of the United States.

Major web portals in China have set up pages dedicated to the US elections, and thousands of netizens have voted in online polls, with Obama largely ahead of his opponent, John McCain.—AFP