Chennai: Jose Charles Martin, a businessman and son of Indian lottery magnate Santiago Martin, plans to launch a political get together in December, ThePrint reported. The official announcement will likely be made within the second week of December and Pondicherry would be the get together headquarters.
Sources mentioned the get together plans to contest all 30 seats within the 2026 Pondicherry meeting elections.
Jose made his political debut with the Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP) in 2015. He joined the get together within the presence of the then organizing secretary Ram Madhav. Though he didn’t win the 2016 and 2021 parliamentary elections, Bharatiya Janata Celebration officers say he was supported by the get together’s Kamaraj Nagar MLA John Kumar, who as soon as labored as a lottery agent with Santiago Martín.
Jose distanced himself from the Bharatiya Janata Celebration final 12 months after disagreements with native leaders over get together affairs. Since then, the 39-year-old has continued to construct public infrastructure for himself throughout the union territory via his self-owned public entity, JCM Makkal Mandram (JCM Public Discussion board).
In latest months, industrialists have distributed important gadgets reminiscent of meals and clothes to residents of Pondicherry via public works tasks. He additionally sponsored welfare packages and arranged medical camps all through the union’s territory.
JCM Makkal Mandram at the moment has presence in 25 of the 30 constituencies in Puducherry.
Jose’s elevated public exercise has attracted consideration. Former Prime Minister and senior Congress chief V. Narayanasamy has accused the Bharatiya Janata Celebration of launching a B-team in Puducherry forward of the 2026 Meeting elections.
“Makkal Mandram, began by businessman Jose Charles Martin, is the B-team of the Bharatiya Janata Celebration. Other than distributing reward baskets together with his picture, he’s additionally offering free meals to folks in Kamarath Nagar, Mudaliarpet and Bahur constituencies,” Narayanasamy claimed on October 23.
He additionally claimed that a number of MLAs from the Bharatiya Janata Celebration have partnered with Jose and are serving to distribute reward baskets of their constituencies.
Days after Narayanasamy’s accusations, Bharatiya Janata Celebration vice-president Ramalingam mentioned on October 30 that he doesn’t settle for that his get together’s members are near Makkal Mandram, which was based by Jose.
“The BJP has nothing to do with Jose Charles Martin’s latest public actions. We’ve apprised the get together excessive command of the state of affairs and a celebration delegation from the Middle will quickly start investigating the incident,” Ramalingam informed reporters in Puducherry.
Puducherry, a 30-member constituency, has 10 MLAs from the All India NR Congress (AINRC), six from the BJP, six from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), two from the Congress and 6 impartial candidates. The ruling AINRC get together additionally receives help from the BJP and two different impartial MLAs.
(Edited by Sampurna Panigrahi)
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