Bangalore: Capt G R Gopinath, founder of low-cost airline Air Deccan that changed the profile of the Indian aviation industry, is taking the electoral plunge, contesting as an independent in the coming Lok Sabha polls.

Gopinath, a former military officer, said he would not seek support of any political party, claiming none of them represented the best aspirations of the people and declaring that he wants to fight criminalisation of politics.

He told PTI that he would choose a constituency in Bangalore in the next two days.

“After the Mumbai terror strikes and attacks in Karnataka of a different kind, lot of people -- including friends such as Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Pradeep Kar and Ramesh Ramanathan -- have been calling up asking me to contest.”

Firm on contesting as an independent, he claimed there was huge disillusionment about political parties. They are either with community or fighting against community; with business house or against business house. “There is no inner party democracy in any party.”

Gopinath said he would strive to represent the best interests of constituency irrespective of caste, community and creed, try to create jobs and seek to eliminate inequality as much as possible.