₹5,863 crore wealth: Meet Tamil Nadu’s richest election candidate

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) nominee Leema Rose has declared assets worth ₹5,863 crore for her family, making her the wealthiest candidate in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. She has filed her nomination from Lalgudi in the Tiruchirappalli district.

The disclosure, made in her election affidavit, comes as campaigning gathers pace ahead of polling on April 23. The contest is expected to be led by the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance and the AIADMK-led NDA, with actor-turned-politician Vijay’s TVK aiming to make it a three-cornered fight.

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According to documents submitted to election officials, Leema Rose has movable assets of about ₹139 crore and immovable assets of nearly ₹910 crore in her own name. Her husband, businessman Santiago Martin, accounts for a large share of the family’s wealth, declaring movable assets of over ₹3,262 crore and immovable properties worth around ₹887 crore. Their son, Jose Daison Martin, has reported assets running into hundreds of crores as well.

Income, gold holdings and personal details in affidavit

The affidavit also details income and personal assets. Leema Rose reported earnings of ₹9.82 crore in the last financial year, while her husband declared ₹11.39 crore and her son ₹19.56 crore. She has ₹5 lakh in cash, while her husband holds ₹56 lakh.

The family’s assets are not just on paper. A large part of their wealth is tied up in gold, silver, diamonds and other valuables. Her affidavit also offers a closer look at what she personally owns. She has listed more than 19 kg of gold, over 1.31 lakh grams of silver, and diamonds exceeding 1,200 carats.

In her affidavit, she has said her education is up to Class 6. It also notes that four criminal cases are currently pending against her.

With these disclosures, she stands out as the wealthiest candidate in the race, drawing attention to the scale of money involved as Tamil Nadu moves closer to a closely watched election.