Lucknow: The Congress will support the Bahujan Samaj Party candidate in the March 23 Rajya Sabha elections, joining an anti-BJP arrangement that also includes the Samajwadi Party and seeking to send out the message of a united Opposition.

The Congress, which has seven MLAs in Uttar Pradesh, responded to BSP chief Mayawati's appeal and announced that its legislators will back her party's candidate, Bhimrao Ambedkar.

In return, the BSP's four MLAs in Madhya Pradesh will support the lone Congress Rajya Sabha candidate from the state in the March 23 elections.

Ajay Kumar Lallu, the Congress Legislative Party leader in Uttar Pradesh, said in Lucknow on Saturday after a meeting with the MLAs that they would vote for the BSP nominee.

"All seven MLAs are of the view that we should support Ambedkar to defeat at least one BJP nominee and send the message across that the Opposition is united," Lallu said. "The central leadership of our party has approved our decision."

Mayawati declared last week that the BSP would support the Samajwadi Party candidates in the Phulpur and Gorakhpur Lok Sabha by-elections on March 11 and in return, the Samajwadis would transfer their spare votes to Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha polls.

The Samajwadis have renominated actress Jaya Bachchan for the lone Rajya Sabha seat it can win. According to an estimate, she will need 36 to 38 votes. The Samajwadi Party, which has 47 MLAs, will transfer the spare votes to the candidate of the BSP, which has 19 legislators. The Congress with its seven MLAs cannot win any of the 10 seats that are up for grabs and will support the BSP.

The lone Rashtriya Lok Dal MLA has announced his support to the BSP.

The BJP, which has 312 MLAs, will be able to send at least eight members to the Rajya Sabha, restricting the fight to the 10th seat.

Mayawati has hinted that efforts are on to strike an understanding with the Congress in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections later this year. The BSP chief has, however, said she is yet to take a call on an official alliance with any party except the Janata Dal (Secular) in Karnataka for Assembly and parliamentary polls.