Deve Gowda's JD-S to back Pranab Mukherjee

Janata Darty-Secular leader H D Deve Gowda on Thursday announced his party's support to UPA's Presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee.

Deve Gowda said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had sought his support after the Congress core committee cleared the name of Mukherjee, who himself called him two days ago.

"I told the Prime Minister that I will stand by the UPA candidate", the JD-S supremo, who has not been keeping well for the past one-and-half-month, told reporters.

"The Finance Minister (Mukherjee) who is going to be the next President of India asked me to spell out my stand (in public) for which I told him I will call the media today and make the announcement," the former prime minister said.

Deve Gowda also said he is unable to understand why the support of JD-S, "a small party" as he put it, is sought to be made a big deal, adding his party backing may not count much as it had only three Lok Sabha members from Karnataka and 26 MLAs in the state.