Jose Charles Martin, son of lottery baron Santiago Martin and leader of the Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi (LJK), has movable assets worth Rs 328 crore and immovable assets worth Rs 269 crore.
Martin filed his nomination papers on Monday to contest from the Kamarajar Nagar and Nellithope constituencies in Puducherry. In his affidavit, he stated that his total assets are worth Rs 597 crore.
He declared that he owns 17.5 kg of gold valued at Rs 25 crore, diamonds worth Rs 44 crore, and a watch valued at Rs 38 crore.
Jose Charles Martin also stated that he has debts amounting to Rs 210 crore.
He has Rs 20.59 lakh in cash on hand, while his wife, Sindhu Sree Charles, has Rs 1.82 lakh cash.
He owns a Mercedes-Benz car worth Rs 66.15 lakh and a Toyota Vellfire worth Rs 1.29 crore.
He also owns land valued at Rs 192 crore and has three cases registered against him.
Jose Charles Martin is the eldest son of lottery baron Santiago Martin.
Jose Martin, who previously had a stint with the BJP, according to a NDTV report, said he quit the party due to delays in seat allocation but continues to admire Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision and the Make in India programme.
According to The Wire, disclosures on electoral bonds mandated by the Supreme Court revealed that Santiago Martin’s firm, Future Gaming and Hotel Services, purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 1,368 crore between 2019 and 2024.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) was a primary beneficiary, receiving Rs 509 crore (about 37% of the total), while the Trinamool Congress (TMC) received Rs 542 crore. The firm’s contributions spanned multiple parties, with the BJP receiving Rs 100 crore nationally and another Rs 100 crore routed through the Prudent Electoral Trust.
LJK is part of the All India NR Congress (AINRC) & BJP-led alliance in Puducherry. The AIADMK is another constituent of the front.
As per the seat-sharing arrangement, the AINRC would contest 16 seats and the BJP 10 seats. The AIADMK and the LJK would contest two seats each.
Santiago Martin’s son-in-law, Aadhav Arjuna, is a leader of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, led by actor Vijay.