Congress to battle it out with RSS in 2014 polls: Jairam

'BJP playing cards on communal lines'

The Lok Sabha elections next year will be a clear battle between the Congress and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha (RSS) and the Congress will not have any electoral alliance with Trinamool Congress, Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said today.

"The 2014 Lok Sabha elections will be a clear battle between the Congress and RSS and we are confident of winning against the communal force. The BJP is acting to the tune of RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat," Ramesh told a press conference at the WBPCC Headquarters here.      Unable to fight against the Congress on political line, the BJP, he said, was playing cards on communal line to polarise votes and win the battle.

"But they won't be able to achieve their target," he said.

Replying to a question, Ramesh ruled out any electoral alliance with the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal saying "the Congress will not have any electoral alliance with any party which had secret understanding with the BJP to win Lok Sabha bye-elections as happened at an industrial constituency (Howrah LS seat) near Kolkata."     

"The Trinamool Congress is still a regional party, may be it has contested elections in some seats in other states."

"Congress will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections banking on its achievements and success through Right to Information (RTI) Act, MGNREGA, Forest Rights Act, Right to Education for children between the ages of 6 and 14, National Food Security Act and New Land Acquisition Act which have been immensely popular," the union minister said.