TN 2026  ›  All MLAs  ›  Leemarose Martin
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · MLA Lalgudi · AC 143

Leemarose Martin

Leema Rose Martin won Lalgudi (AC 143) in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election as the AIADMK candidate, with 60,795 votes and a margin of 2,739 over TVK's Ku. Pa. Krishnan. With ₹5,863 crore in declared assets, she is the wealthiest MLA in the 16th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by an order of magnitude.

LM
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

Leemarose Martin

AIADMKMLA · Lalgudi
Constituency
Lalgudi · AC 143
District
Tiruchirappalli
Party
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Profession
Politician (first-time MLA, 2026); business interests via the Martin family group (Future Gaming and Hotel Services Pvt Ltd) — though her own affidavit lists separate investments and properties.
2026 result
won by 2,739 votes
Education
Sixth Std. From Govt. Higher Secondary School Thiruvadanai Ramanathapuram District Tamil Nadu Year 1979-80

At a glance

2026 votes
60,795
in the assembly election
Margin
2,739
votes ahead of runner-up
Constituency
Lalgudi
AC 143 · Tiruchirappalli
Party
AIADMK
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Field size
25
candidates contested
Age
58 yrs
as of 2026
Declared assets
₹5,863.73 cr
ECI affidavit, 2026
Criminal cases
4 pending
declared in affidavit

Education

Highest qualification5th Pass

ECI affidavit (2026)

4 pending criminal cases declared in the 2026 ECI affidavit. Total declared assets: ₹5,863.73 cr.

ItemValue
Total declared assets₹5,863.73 cr
Liabilities₹417.38 cr
Source: Election Commission of India affidavit, March 2026 — collated by myneta.info (view live page).

Career timeline

The 2026 win — Lalgudi

Leemarose Martin polled 60,795 votes, defeating Ku Pa Krishnan (TVK) by a margin of 2,739.

#CandidatePartyVotes
1Leemarose MartinAIADMK60,795
2Ku Pa KrishnanTVK58,056
3T. ParivallalDMK55,565
4N. MadhanNTK6,992
5R. DineshkumarIND403

→ Full Lalgudi (AC 143) seat page · district: Tiruchirappalli

Family

Wife of Santiago Martin, the 'Lottery King' who runs Future Gaming and Hotel Services Pvt Ltd — among India's largest electoral-bond donors. Mother-in-law of Aadhav Arjuna (TVK MLA Villivakkam, Cabinet Minister). Mother of Jose Charles Martin, MLA from Kamraj Nagar in the Puducherry Legislative Assembly. The Martin family now holds Assembly seats across three different parties simultaneously — a rare cross-party political network unseen in modern Tamil politics.

Party & ideology

Inside the AIADMK, Leema Rose Martin's win is one of the rare 2026 bright spots — Lalgudi is one of only 47 AIADMK seats. Her financial profile and family network give her unusual leverage inside a depleted party that is now negotiating its post-loss stance.

FAQ

Who is Leema Rose Martin?

First-time MLA from Lalgudi (AC 143), elected on AIADMK ticket in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election with 60,795 votes (margin 2,739). Wife of lottery businessman Santiago Martin and mother-in-law of TVK's Aadhav Arjuna.

Is Leema Rose Martin the richest MLA in Tamil Nadu?

Yes, by an order of magnitude. Her 2026 ECI affidavit declares total assets of approximately ₹5,863 crore — far ahead of the next-richest MLA, C. Joseph Vijay (~₹648.85 cr).

How is the Martin family connected across parties?

Three Martin family members hold Assembly seats simultaneously across three parties: Leema Rose Martin (AIADMK, Lalgudi), Aadhav Arjuna (TVK, Villivakkam — son-in-law), and Jose Charles Martin (Puducherry's Kamraj Nagar — son). News reporting has called this a 'Dutch booking' political strategy across rival parties.

Was she previously in politics?

No — 2026 was her electoral debut. The Martin family's public political footprint had been led by her son Jose Charles Martin and son-in-law Aadhav Arjuna prior to her own candidacy.

Sources