Tamil Nadu assembly polls: AIADMK’s Leema Rose Martin is the richest candidate with Rs 1,049 crore assets | India News
New Delhi: AIADMK’s Lalguri candidate Lima Rose Martin has emerged as the richest contender in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, declaring assets of around Rs 1,049.56 crore in her election affidavit filed ahead of the April 23 polls.The 58-year-old wife of lottery tycoon Santiago Martin submitted her nomination papers on Monday. His affidavit shows movable assets of Rs 139.62 crore and immovable assets of Rs 909.94 crore, putting him ahead of other high-net-worth candidates, including Tamilga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay, who declared assets of over Rs 603 crore.The 159-page affidavit shows that his immovable properties are spread across multiple districts including Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli and Tirupur. He also owns agricultural assets near Kerala and New Delhi. Its annual income is reported to be Rs 9.82 crore in the financial year 2024-25.Candidate’s educational qualification is listed as 6th standard. The affidavit also states that he has business interests in real estate, gaming and hospitality sectors.Her husband, Santiago Martin, has declared movable assets of Rs 3,262.01 crore and immovable assets of Rs 887.36 crore.His son, Jose Charles Martin, who is contesting from Puducherry on a BJP ticket, has reported a total wealth of Rs 664 crore. His son-in-law, TVK Villivakkam candidate Adhav Arjuna, declared a net worth of Rs 197 crore.The affidavit mentions that both Lima Rose Martin and her husband own three TVS XL mopeds. Their personal car collection also includes a Hyundai Creta and a Mahindra TharRose disclosed four pending criminal cases against him. A significant portion of his legal matters relate to proceedings initiated by the Income Tax Department. The cases involved the transfer of tax assessments from Coimbatore to Calcutta, a move that he and his daughter, Daisy Martin Adhava Arjuna, unsuccessfully challenged in the Madras High Court in late 2024.As the wife of Santiago Martin, she has also been named in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) related matter. These investigations usually stem from the Enforcement Directorate’s protracted probe into her husband’s lottery business and “proceeds of crime” totaling hundreds of crores of rupees.The cases are currently being handled in various jurisdictions including special courts in Chennai and Kolkata.The Lalguri seat is expected to witness a high-profile contest as Tamil Nadu heads to the polls on April 23, with counting scheduled on May 4.
