Saritha S Nair, an accused in Kerala’s solar panel scam will contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha Election. She will be contesting from the Ernakulam constituency as an independent candidate.

Congress MLA Hibi Eden from UDF, former CPI(M) district secretary P Rajeev for LDF and Union Minister Alphonse Kannanthanam for NDA are the other candidates contesting from Ernakulam. Although Saritha is up against three strong candidates, she told TNM her fight will be focused against UDF candidate Hibi Eden.

Saritha also said that she has decided to contest in order to expose to people the real face of some candidates. “By contesting in the polls, I do not aim to get votes and win, but to make people understand that some candidates who are seeking votes are not clean as they think,” said Saritha.

Hitting out at the Congress party, she stated, “The Congress party in the state has tarnished my image as a woman, even my personal life was involved in that. It is these people who are asking votes to the people saying they will take measures to protect women. So I am contesting in the election with the belief that I will at least be able to express my dissent in this.”

She also said, “My aim is not to reach Parliament, so I will not ask for votes. I will create an awareness among people about the need to think differently without helping such people go to power. Though I will speak about the real face of some people during my campaign, I will not personally tarnish anyone as they have done to me,” she said.

Saritha was one of the directors of the controversial company Team Solar Renewable Energy Solutions. She was accused of cheating crores of money from investors for solar power project. The multi-crore solar scam broke out in 2013 when the Oommen Chandy-led Congress government was in power.