NEW DELHI : With George W. Bush returning as President of the United States for a second term, Indian astrologers who predicted that the stars and planets favored John Kerry are somewhat red-faced.

New Delhi-based astrologers S.R. Krishnamurti and Lachhman Das Madan, who had forecast a win for Sen. Kerry, were hard put to explain what went wrong.

“The sub-period of Mercury in the main period of Mercury, which was in operation for Senator Kerry for the last five-sixth months, appears to have been not strong enough to take him to victory,” said Krishnamurti, who not only predicted a Kerry win but had also said he would usher in an era of world peace.

“Two other planets, the Sun and the Moon, that were earlier on Kerry’s side, also appear to be not favoring him today,” added Krishnamurti, who describes himself as a mystic, seeking cosmic reasons for the turnaround.

Lachhman Das Madan, known as Jyotish Samrat (King of Astrologers) and a favorite of the Indian political class, was unwilling to throw in the towel even as the verdict from Ohio hung in balance.

“I will wait till the final results are out,” he told News India-Times.

But contacted after Kerry conceded defeat, Madan did not come on the line, his wife saying that he was resting.

Madan, who had been most forceful in the pro-Kerry prediction, had earlier said: “I reveal the cosmic writ –– George Bush cannot become the President of the U.S. again.”

Ajai Bhambi, who had said that “Kerry will not only have an edge over his rival but is likely to defeat him,” was away in the U.S. and could not be reached for comments.

Forming the minority ahead of the elections was Pandit Uma Shankar Shukla, who had contended that Bush would serve a second term in the White House.

Shukla had predicted that the “Mercury, the eighth Lord, has done Senator Kerry the favor of bringing him out of semi-obscurity and into the limelight.” But, the astrologer had added, this alone would not ensure his victory.

The stars apparently had ordained it thus –– it is their interpreters who had erred!