Lucknow: By handing over the reigns of its Uttar Pradesh unit to known Mulayam-basher Salman Khurshid, the Congress high command has made it clear that it is not interested in "shadow boxing" with ruling SP (Samajwadi Party) and the fight for Muslim votes is likely to "intensify" between the two parties.

"Now the fight for Muslim votes between the SP and the Congress will intensify," State BJP president Kesri Nath Tripathi said.

"By appointing Salman Khurshid as UPCC (Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee) president, the Congress has made it clear that it will play communal politics in the State to revive its fortunes," he claimed.

The recent Lok Sabha polls had witnessed a high voltage campaigning by the Congress and the Samajwadi Party leaders to woo the Muslims with the former emerging victorious by bagging 36 Lok Sabha seats, several of them in the Muslim dominated areas.

With the SP's resounding victory in the recent Vidhan Sabha by-polls, the equations in the house too have changed and it no longer depends on the Congress for its survival.

The policy of the Congress, which was instrumental in the installation of the Mulayam Singh Yadav Government in the State vis-a-vis the Samajwadi Party had not being finding favour with the party workers, who were exerting pressure on the high command to withdraw its support.