Raju's ``defection,'' the anti-BJP camp feels, may encourage others to leave the BJP camp. ``Three more TDP MPs are likely to join Raju tomorrow thus formalising the split in the party'' claimed a Congress leader.

His assertion was probably based on the fact that only three of the 12 Lok Sabha members of the TDP turned up at an informal meeting convened by the party's Parliamentary Party leader K Yerrannaidu at Andhra Bhawan this evening.

Sensing the vulnerability of its allies -- like the Biju Janata Dal, Samata Party, Trinamool Congress, Akali Dal and TDP -- the BJP today accused the Congress of trying to split its allies. A senior BJP leader alleged that R KDhawan and Bhajan Lal have been deputed to woo away the Indian National Lok Dal, Arjun Singh has been asked to ``work on'' the BJD; M L Fotedar and Kalpanath Rai on the Samata Party, Ajit Panja on Trinamool MPs and Y S Rajshekhar Reddy has been entrusted with luring away TDP MPs.

Samata Party dissident Kalpanath Rai called on Sonia Gandhi today before meeting CPM leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet in the evening. Much significance is being attached to his meeting with other Samata dissidents like Shakuni Chaudhury, Abdul Gafoor and Sushil Kumar Singh this afternoon.

On the other hand, a fuming Yerrannaidu, stung by Raju's desertion, accused the Congress of using muscle and money-power to engineer defections from his party. He vowed to raise the issue in Parliament tomorrow and meet the President to inform him of ``the means Congress was adopting to come back to power''.

Raju was among those who attended the TDP's Parliamentary Party meeting last night. Speaking to a private television channel, he had alsoscotched rumours of his having met Congress president Sonia Gandhi yesterday. He was to meet Yerrannaidu over breakfast this morning.

``He was kidnapped by anti-social elements brought here from Andhra Pradesh by APCC president Y S Rajshekhar Reddy,'' Yerrannaidu alleged. ``He was then lured to support the Congress with the money pumped in by industrialist friends of Sharad Pawar.''

Even as TDP leaders frantically searched for him, Raju surfaced at the AICC headquarters during a press conference at 4 pm, asserting he was still in the TDP but would vote for Sonia Gandhi even if it attracted expulsion from the party or disqualification from the Lok Sabha.

Raju went on to accuse Andhra Chief Minister and TDP president Chandrababu Naidu of doublespeak. He said that while Naidu had announced that his honeymoon with the BJP was over, he had sent a representative to the BJP-led coalition's coordination committee. ``To cover up his shifting character, Naidu is accusing the Congress party of destabilisingGovernments at the Centre for its selfish ends,'' Raju said.

Meanwhile, in Hyderabad, Chandrababu Naidu reacted strongly to the developments.

Accusing the Congress of horsetrading, Naidu vowed that the TDP would ``kick up a furore'' on the floor of the Lok Sabha tomorrow when it meets to adopt the Finance Bill.

Naidu is also said to have directed party MPs to meet the President tomorrow and lodge a protest against the ``unethical practices'' of the Congress.

The news of Raju's declaration reached Naidu at the conference of Janmabhoomi nodal officers he was attending this evening. He wound up the meeting and left to consult party leaders.

Speaking to mediapersons later, he lashed out at the Congress.

``They are trying to buy MPs like cattle in the market,'' he said.