Charles Martin — son of Billionaire Lottery King Santiago Martin and direct brother-in-law of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) General Secretary Aadhav Arjuna — stunned observers on Wednesday by announcing the immediate conversion of his JCM Makkal Mandram into a fully-fledged political party named Latchiya Jananayaka Katchi, just one day after TVK president and superstar Vijay drew tens of thousands to a historic rally in the Union Territory that had been widely interpreted as the launchpad for his national political ambitions.

Delivering his declaration from the prestigious platform of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Martin launched a blistering attack on successive Puducherry administrations for what he described as decades of betrayal, corruption, and criminal neglect, asserting that despite achieving liberation from French colonial rule in 1954 and formal merger with India, the territory remains trapped in under-development, poor infrastructure, and administrative paralysis, vowing that his party will contest every single seat in the 2026 Assembly elections to deliver radical, Singapore-style transformation.

Unveiling an ambitious blueprint that includes world-class smart city development, total administrative overhaul, zero-tolerance for corruption, and rapid industrialisation, Martin positioned Latchiya Jananayaka Katchi as the vehicle for “genuine people’s rule,” announcing that the party will be formally launched on December 14 in a mega event expected to draw thousands, thereby establishing a direct rival power centre within the extended TVK ecosystem barely 24 hours after Vijay’s triumphant show of strength.

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The timing and optics of the move have triggered intense speculation across political circles, especially given the ruling NR Congress’s recent overtures toward Vijay’s TVK and Chief Minister N Rangasamy’s public gratitude for the actor’s support on the statehood demand during Tuesday’s rally, where Vijay had simultaneously praised Rangasamy and launched a sharp attack on the BJP — forcing analysts to question whether Martin’s independent entry signals strategic diversification, internal friction, or a calculated division of political labour within the broader anti-establishment space.

With Puducherry’s 30 Assembly seats historically witnessing razor-thin margins and constantly shifting alliances, Charles Martin’s entry — backed by enormous financial resources and a high-profile international launch — instantly alters the electoral chessboard, potentially splitting anti-incumbency votes, weakening the NR Congress-BJP alliance, and setting the stage for a three- or four-cornered contest in 2026 that could reshape the Union Territory’s political destiny for decades to come.

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