She refused to comment on Congress President Sonia Gandhi's Italian origin as a disqualification to hold the office of Prime Minister. ``It is quite unnecessary to discuss Sonia Gandhi,'' she said, suggesting a change in stance. She had, in the past, questioned Sonia's credentials to lead the country if the Congress were to form the Government at the Centre.

On whether her party would ally with the Congress in future, she said that alliances were discussed only at the time of elections. But at another point in the `Meet the Press' programme at the Press Club of India here, she said, ``It is wise not to rule out anything in politics. Sensible and wise politicians should always keep their options open.'' Jayalalitha said the AIADMK's pre-pollunderstanding with the BJP was only limited to seat adjustment. It was not based on ``ideological convergence,'' she pointed out. But she said her party was not pulling out of the BJP-led coalition, when asked if the AIADMK would join the proposed Third Front of secular forces mooted by the Communist Party of India (Marxist). However, she said, ``We are a secular party.'' She asserted that she was not the source for all the crises the BJP-led Government faced, and wondered why she had become the ``favourite whipping girl.'' She denied she was the reason for the postponement of the Vajpayee ministry's expansion. ``You have to ask the Prime Minister for the true reason,'' she remarked.

Jayalalitha denied suggestions that she was trying to emerge as an alternative power centre in the background of her hosting a tea party to the leaders of the BJP and its allies yesterday. The AIADMK chief averred that at no point of time had she threatened the withdrawal of support. She had only stood firm in her stand oncertain issues concerning her State. If this was interpreted as a threat, then she could not be held responsible. ``It is all media hype,'' she said.

On the question of stability of the government and the bottomline for her party's support, she said, ``There is no bottomline. We supported this government because we hoped that something good can be done for the people. As long as we believe something good can be done for the people of the nation, we will continue to support the government,'' she said.

To another question, Jayalalitha said she would support any move to dismiss the Rabri Devi Government in Bihar if similar action was initiated with the DMK in Tamil Nadu.

She also said neither her party nor any other ally had been consulted before the Union Cabinet decided to recommend the use of Article 356 in Bihar.Jayalalitha also dwelt at length on the role of international terrorist Osama bin Laden in the February 14 serial blasts in Coimbatore. She said it was high time the Centre took serious actionto counter the activities of Islamic fundamentalists who had spread their tentacles deep down in the South. ``It is a known fact that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister (M Karunanidhi) has encouraged infiltration of Islamic fundamentalists,'' she said.

She had been demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the blasts, but the DMK government was not willing, she said and wanted the law to be amended to provide for the Centre ordering a CBI probe even if the State Government did not ask for one, in cases of threats to national security.

Jayalalitha also met Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, who had invited her for tea this afternoon. According to sources, politics was not a topic of discussion at the meeting.