Patna, Nov 16 (IANS) The CPI-M Sunday called for a unity of all secular forces to "save the country from communal forces".

"This is the need of the hour," Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Prakash Karat said here.

He added that his party would support Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) in parliament to strengthen the unity of secular forces.

But it will decide later whether or not it should ally with the JD-U in the Bihar assembly polls due in 2015.

"The CPI-M will support and work with the JD-U in parliament," Karat said. He was in Patna to attend an event organised by the Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist.

The Samajwadi Party, the JD-U, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Janata Dal-Secular have announced a united front to counter the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.