Lok Sabha election results: A key vote bank yet Muslim representation will remain low in the new Lok Sabha

The 18th Lok Sabha in 2024 is likely to see only 28 Muslim MPs, two more than in 2019, which was the third lowest tally ever in the House of 543 members.

The 18th Lok Sabha in 2024 is likely to see only 28 Muslim MPs, two more than in 2019, which was the third lowest tally ever in the House of 543 members. These 28 Muslim candidates had either won or were leading with comfortable margins at 9 p.m. on Tuesday. Fourteen of them are in constituencies where the community is in a majority.

The 2014 General Election saw the lowest Muslim representation in the Lok Sabha at 22, while the community had its highest ever presence in the Lok Sabha, at 49, in 1980.

In terms of population based on religion, the Muslim community stands second in the country. Although Muslim voters are seen as a decisive factor in each election season, representation for the community, even in States where it forms a sizeable percentage of the population, remains low.

Also Read | Election results 2024: With no majority on its own, BJP will have to strike a consensus

There are 15 Muslim-majority constituencies in India. Among them, Baharampur in West Bengal elected Congress’ Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in 2019, and the Trinamool Congress’ (TMC) Yusuf Pathan, a member of the community, this time. The community is also dominant in Assam’s Barpeta, where Phani Bhusan Choudhary of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has won this time.

Political analysts attribute the diminishing number of Muslim legislators to the fact that most Opposition parties, since the BJP’s advent to power in 2014, have shied away from giving tickets to Muslim candidates, fearing a polarising contest, with their numbers dropping in each General Election.

The Congress, SP, and TMC, key members of the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) have given fewer seats to Muslim candidates. In 2024, the Congress nominated Muslims in only 19 seats when compared with 34 in 2019; the TMC fielded six Muslim candidates when compared with 13 in 2019; and the Samajwadi Party (SP) had only four Muslim candidates, half the number it had in 2019.