Santiago Martin, founder of the Coimbatore-based Martin Group of Companies and widely referred to as India’s ‘Lottery King’, did not stand for election in the 2026 Tamil Nadu or Puducherry Assembly polls. He didn’t contest a single seat, but three key family members (Leema Rose Martin, Jose Charles Martin, and Aadhav Arjuna) all won their respective constituencies, contesting under three different political platforms: AIADMK, TVK, and NDA.
The result is unprecedented in recent South Indian political history: one business family simultaneously placing winning candidates inside the ruling party of Tamil Nadu, the principal opposition, and the NDA-aligned government of Puducherry.
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Who is Santiago Martin?
Martin founded Martin Lottery Agencies Ltd in Coimbatore in 1988, which capitalised on the two-digit lottery. The Martin Group today operates in lottery, construction, property development, hospitality, textile and fabric mills, educational institutions, sustainable energy, and media and entertainment.
Santiago Martin reportedly began his career as a landless labourer in Yangon, Myanmar, and built a vast business empire from scratch.
The group gained attention in March 2024 when Supreme Court ordered disclosure of electoral bonds data. Between April 2019 and January 2024, Future Gaming and Hotel Services Pvt Ltd, a flagship company of the group, purchased electoral bonds worth ₹1,368 crore. This was the highest among all companies according to data released by Election Commission.
The funds were distributed across parties: around ₹540 crore to the Trinamool Congress, ₹500 crore to the DMK, over ₹150 crore to the YSR Congress Party, ₹100 crore to the BJP, and ₹50 crore to the Congress.
Win 1: Leema Rose Martin, Lalgudi (Tamil Nadu), AIADMK
Leema Rose Martin is the wife of Santiago Martin. She contested on an AIADMK ticket in the Tamil Nadu polls. Lalgudi, in Tiruchirappalli district, had been a DMK stronghold, the party won the seat in 2021 with a margin of nearly 17,000 votes.
Leema Rose Martin won from the Lalgudi assembly constituency by securing 60,975 votes with a margin of 2,739 votes. Despite facing strong competition from both DMK and TVK candidates, she managed to edge ahead with a narrow margin of around 2,500 votes.
According to the affidavit filed with the Election Commission, she owns total assets worth ₹5,683 crore and is the richest candidate who contested the Tamil Nadu election. She entered electoral politics as a first-time candidate.
Win 2: Jose Charles Martin, Kamaraj Nagar (Puducherry), LJK-NDA
Jose Charles Martin is the son of India’s Lottery King Santiago Martin, who launched his own political party, the Latchiya Jananayaka Katchi (LJK), ahead of the Puducherry polls. He contested from the Kamaraj Nagar assembly constituency and won by a margin of over 10,000 votes. As per his affidavit, he owns assets worth around ₹609 crore and approximately ₹210 crore in liabilities.
Jose Charles Martin won the Kamarajar Nagar seat contesting under his own party, aligned with the NDA. His party, the LJK, was formed specifically for the 2026 Puducherry election cycle, making the win a debut for the organisation as well.
Win 3: Aadhav Arjuna, Villivakkam (Tamil Nadu), TVK
Aadhav Arjuna Reddy is close aide of actor-turned-politician Vijay and key figure in Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). Contesting from Villivakkam, Arjuna won convincingly with a margin of 17,302 votes. He is married to Daisy Martin, Santiago Martin’s daughter. He also served as the party’s general secretary during the election campaign.
Aadhav Arjuna, Martin’s son-in-law had fallen out of favour with the family. He had gambled on Vijay’s new party, and the bet paid off. TVK went on to form the government in Tamil Nadu after the 2026 polls. Arjuna is now a cabinet member under Vijay’s leadership.
Martin himself stays silent
Amid all the activity, Santiago Martin himself has remained conspicuously silent. Since electoral bonds controversy surfaced, he has remained lowkey.
Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate’s probe into the Martin Group continues. The ED has alleged irregularities in the operations of Future Gaming and Hotel Services Pvt. Ltd. It has attached assets worth over ₹600 crore in connection with money laundering probes.