Will stand by secular parties in Vice-President poll: JDS

BANGALORE: JDS today said it would stand by secular parties in the vice presidential election.

Asked if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had called him and discussed vice president Hamid Ansari's name for a second term, JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda told reporters here, "Whether he (PM) calls or not, I will stand by secular parties."

He said the Prime Minister had called him to support the candidature of Pranab Mukherjee for Presidential election.

The vice-presidential election is slated to be held on August 7.