Kochi: For decades, Santiago Martin, known colloquially as the “Lottery King,” operated in the shadows of Indian politics – a figure whose influence was measured in currency rather than soundbites. Disclosures pertaining to electoral bonds mandated by the Supreme Court revealed that Santiago Martin’s firm, Future Gaming and Hotel Services, purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 1,368 crore between 2019 and 2024. While the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) was a primary beneficiary, receiving Rs 509 crore (roughly 37% of the total), and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) receiving Rs 542 crore, the firm’s contributions cut across party lines, with the BJP receiving Rs 100 crore nationally and another Rs 100 crore channeled through the Prudent Electoral Trust.However, the political landscape of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry is witnessing a shift. The man whose firm, Future Gaming and Hotel Services, emerged as India’s single largest electoral bond donor, is no longer merely funding the players. Some of his closest family members are now directly in the fray.With his son, Jose Charles Martin, in Puducherry, and his son-in-law, Aadhav Arjuna, in Tamil Nadu, the Martin family has launched a twin-pronged gambit on the region’s traditional power structures. This transition from backroom financier to front-line challenger introduces a volatile new variable into the 2026 election cycle, threatening to influence the delicate arithmetic of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Puducherry for a start.Son building a launchpad in PuducherryThe formation of the Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi (LJK) by Martin’s son marks the conversion of the family’s financial clout into direct political equity. This transition was prefaced by a strategic deployment of ‘philanthropic capital’ through the Martin Foundation in late 2024. The distribution of flood relief amounting to Rs 5 crore and high-value gift boxes to students – bearing the likeness of Jose Charles Martin – served as a soft launch for the party.Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior political journalist based in Chennai told The Wire, “This strategy raises critical questions regarding the ‘cost of entry‘ for aspiring politicians. We are witnessing a localised spending blitz that rivals the official expenditure of established parties, essentially converting corporate CSR into a family-run political startup.”Son-in-law the strategic anchor in Tamil NaduWhile the son is now a political player in the Union Territory, his son-in-law, Aadhav Arjuna is at an interesting political place in Tamil Nadu. Arjuna, who built his reputation as a formidable political strategist for the DMK during the 2016 and 2021 Assembly elections and briefly served as the Deputy General Secretary of the VCK, has now emerged as a core pillar of actor Vijay’s new party. He currently serves as the General Secretary of Election Campaign Management and is effectively the ‘Number Two’ of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).“This is a calculated regional pincer movement,” the Chennai-based journalist explained. “By having Jose Charles Martin launch a party in Puducherry and Aadhav Arjuna managing the strategy for a rising force in Tamil Nadu, the Martin family has hedged its bets. They are ensuring that the ‘Lottery King’ remains the gatekeeper of political finance and strategy across the entire Dravidian belt, regardless of which way the wind blows.”Disrupting the NDA too?The immediate impact of this family-driven ambition could be the destabilisation of the BJP’s local unit in Puducherry. Following its 2021 victory, the BJP had consolidated its position by inducting influential local leaders. That flock is now fracturing under the gravitational pull of the LJK’s resources.Several legislators nominally aligned with the BJP have gravitated towards Jose Charles Martin. Notably, Richards Johnkumar, the legislator from Nellithope, and Regan John Kumar, son of prominent BJP legislator John Kumar, have openly associated with the new party. Regan John Kumar has effectively defected, assuming the role of General Secretary in the LJK.“The BJP central leadership, which prided itself on bringing ‘discipline’ to Puducherry politics, is now forcing a reckoning,” the Chennai-based journalist stated. “The inability to retain its cadre against a well-capitalised new entrant suggests that the loyalty of its ‘imports’ remains transactional.”The distillery controversyThe LJK has positioned itself as a disruptor, with Jose Charles Martin launching a manifesto that promises a “Singapore-style” technocratic overhaul to transform Puducherry into a “Global Model.” However, the political narrative is deeply intertwined with the family’s business interests.The LJK has aggressively targeted the government over the recent issuance of Letters of Intent (LoI) for eight new liquor manufacturing units, terming it a “distillery scandal.” By promising a “transparent liquor policy,” the Martin scion is attempting to corner the government on corruption while simultaneously appealing to stakeholders in the UT’s lucrative liquor industry.“The rhetoric of fighting a ‘syndicate’ is ironic given the Martin family’s history as the ultimate financiers of the political system,” the senior journalist remarked. “But with the son leading the charge on policy and the son-in-law managing regional alliances, they are positioning themselves to capture not just votes, but the regulatory conversation around the sectors that drive the local economy.”The spoiler threatWhile the LJK may be a novice entity, its potential to disrupt the AINRC-BJP coalition is mathematically significant. A political consultant working with Dock, a strategy firm hired by the LJK, explained to The Wire that the party does not need a landslide to change the government; it merely needs to play the spoiler.“In 2021, the victory margins in 12 of the 30 constituencies were fewer than 2,000 votes,” the consultant explained. “In razor-thin contests, a new player with the capacity to siphon off even 3% to 5% of the vote can flip seats. For a coalition defending a slender majority, the entry of a resource-heavy third party is a statistical nightmare.”The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) has been quick to label the LJK a ‘B-Team’ of the BJP, a charge that finds its roots in Jose Charles Martin’s political history. Before launching his own outfit, Jose Charles Martin was a member of the BJP, having joined the party in 2015 inspired by Narendra Modi, before quitting due to “bureaucratic delays”. This history, combined with his manifesto’s focus on ‘Special Status’ – a demand that historically aligns with administrative pragmatism over the DMK and Congress’s ideological push for full Statehood – has led critics to argue that the LJK may be a strategic pressure valve designed to preserve the family’s proximity to the Centre. However, the Congress views it as a potential vote-splitter that could inadvertently aid the INDIA bloc by hollowing out the BJP’s urban base.Analysts see Santiago Martin stepping out from the shadows of campaign finance through the next generation. The 2026 elections in Puducherry and Tamil Nadu will be the first major test of this transition. It remains to be seen whether the dual leverage of a son in the fray and a son-in-law in the command centre can successfully translate the family’s financial dominance into popular legitimacy.