Will stand by secular parties in Vice President poll: JDS

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.