<p>Chennai: Watches worth Rs 38 crore, 17.5 kg of gold valued at Rs 25 crore and diamonds worth Rs 44 crore - these are some of the assets declared by Jose Charles Martin, the chief of Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi (LJK), who is contesting the April 9 <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/puducherry">Puducherry</a> assembly elections from Kamaraj Nagar seat. </p><p>By declaring total assets worth Rs 597 crore of which Rs 328 crore are movable and Rs 269 are immovable, he has become the richest candidate to ever contest elections in the tiny Union Territory. </p><p>Jose Charles Martin is none other than the son of lottery baron Santiago Martin, who purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 1,368 crore between April 2019 and January 2024 and donated them to various political parties, including the BJP, DMK, and TMC. </p>.Puducherry Assembly Elections 2026 | TVK fields 28 candidates; former AIADMK, BJP MLAs given seats.<p>The LJK candidate has also declared in his election affidavit that he has debts amounting to Rs 210 crore. About the nature of assets he owns, Jose Martin has declared that he owns watches worth Rs 38 crore, 17.5 kg of gold valued at Rs 25 crore, and diamonds worth Rs 44 crore.</p><p>However, the richest candidate possesses only Rs 20.59 lakh in cash (in hand), while his wife, Sindhu Sree Charles has Rs 1.82 lakh cash. The LJK chief owns only two cards – a Mercedes-Benz worth Rs 66.15 lakh and a Toyota Vellfire worth Rs 1.29 crore. </p><p>He has also declared that he owns land valued at Rs 192 crore and has three cases registered against him.</p><p>Jose Martin was associated with the BJP for a long time but quit the party to launch LJK. His party has now been allotted two seats in the AINRC-BJP alliance in Puducherry.</p>
<p>Chennai: Watches worth Rs 38 crore, 17.5 kg of gold valued at Rs 25 crore and diamonds worth Rs 44 crore - these are some of the assets declared by Jose Charles Martin, the chief of Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi (LJK), who is contesting the April 9 <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/puducherry">Puducherry</a> assembly elections from Kamaraj Nagar seat. </p><p>By declaring total assets worth Rs 597 crore of which Rs 328 crore are movable and Rs 269 are immovable, he has become the richest candidate to ever contest elections in the tiny Union Territory. </p><p>Jose Charles Martin is none other than the son of lottery baron Santiago Martin, who purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 1,368 crore between April 2019 and January 2024 and donated them to various political parties, including the BJP, DMK, and TMC. </p>.Puducherry Assembly Elections 2026 | TVK fields 28 candidates; former AIADMK, BJP MLAs given seats.<p>The LJK candidate has also declared in his election affidavit that he has debts amounting to Rs 210 crore. About the nature of assets he owns, Jose Martin has declared that he owns watches worth Rs 38 crore, 17.5 kg of gold valued at Rs 25 crore, and diamonds worth Rs 44 crore.</p><p>However, the richest candidate possesses only Rs 20.59 lakh in cash (in hand), while his wife, Sindhu Sree Charles has Rs 1.82 lakh cash. The LJK chief owns only two cards – a Mercedes-Benz worth Rs 66.15 lakh and a Toyota Vellfire worth Rs 1.29 crore. </p><p>He has also declared that he owns land valued at Rs 192 crore and has three cases registered against him.</p><p>Jose Martin was associated with the BJP for a long time but quit the party to launch LJK. His party has now been allotted two seats in the AINRC-BJP alliance in Puducherry.</p>