Only Mayawati knows whom she will support for Prez: Shatrughan

New Delhi, June 14(UNI) Although BSP supremo Mayawati has announced her full support to any UPA presidential candidate yet former Union Minister and BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha has claimed that the UP Chief Minister was yet to open her cards on the issue. ''She is a very strong woman and she should not be taken for granted so easily,'' cine star Shatrughan Sinha said in an interview to Hindi weekly ''Outlook'' after a meeting with the UP Chief Minister in Lucknow.

Describing her as an iron lady, he said it was not easy to either persuade or frighten her and therefore it was wrong to say that she would have to support the UPA candidate in the wake of Taj Corridor case.

Sinha said his meeting with the BSP chief was 'personal' but conceded that the domain of the talks included the present political scenario and presidential election. ''But I cannot share all the deliberations,'' he said.

The BJP leader maintained that Mayawati was a very strong lady and it would be a mistake on the part of UPA to think that she could be tamed ''overnight'' through persuasion and brought to the point under duress.

On the question of seeking her support for Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat for presidentship, Sinha said he had not gone there as an emissary of either BJP or Mr Shekhawat whom he holds in high esteem.

''...As of now I will say that it is not easy to understand her.

You read about her, hear about her. But I can say on the basis of my experience and understanding that she will keep close her cards till last moment. She is a strong person,'' the former Union Minister said.

The cine star regretted that his every meeting with any leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Lalu Prasad or Mayawati was always taken ''as if I was leaving BJP.'' On the question of having been sidelined in BJP, he said he had never been in the race for any position in the party.

''The party does not consider me enough competent to hold any position. Or I have no ambitions....I have never been made incharge of any party cell. Once it was announced that I have been made convener of Cultural cell. I don't know what is this cell as till date it had no meeting. I don't know whether I am still holding the post. Somebody told me that I have been replaced,'' he said.

UNI