Speaking to mediapersons at his residence here, Naidu made it clear that his role in the crisis at the Centre was `limited'. "I have already told you. I have only 12 MPs and do not have any role to play now. So, I am concentrating on developmental activities in the State," he said.

Asked about reports from Delhi that he was in touch with Karunanidhi on the request of BJP leaders, the Chief Minister said: "How do your friends in Delhi know that I am in touch with them (DMK)? It is not correct." Naidu dismissed speculation on the realignment of political forces at the national level. "I do not think that it is possible at this stage," he said. Referring to Congress president Sonia Gandhi's criticism that the TDP had gone back on its poll plank for the 1998Lok Sabha elections that it would fight the BJP, Naidu said: "We are only giving conditional support to the BJP. We will never compromise on the question of protecting secularism".

Asked whether he would support the candidature of West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu for the post of prime minister, he said, "These are all hypothetical questions. I do not want to answer them."

However, he said that the TDP would be taking decisions from time to time.