Over 100 Muslim state legislators elected in India
Data from five elections shows uneven political presence, with sharp decline in Assam and underrepresentation in West Bengal despite significant population share
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — More than 100 Muslim candidates have been elected in the latest round of state elections in India, but their overall political representation remains significantly below their population share in most regions, highlighting persistent gaps in electoral inclusion.
At least 104 Muslim legislators—around 14.36 percent of 723 elected members across West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the federal territory of Puducherry — secured seats in the latest assembly elections. However, analysts note that representation remains uneven and, in some states, has declined despite strong local performances.
The data shows that Muslim representation is closest to population share only in the southern state of Kerala, while other major states with large Muslim populations continue to show a sharp mismatch.
In the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, where Muslims make up about 27% of the population, only 40 Muslim legislators were elected out of 293 seats — around 13.65%. The majority of these belong to the All India Trinamool Congress, which has 34 Muslim lawmakers among its 80 legislators. The remaining Muslim lawmakers are spread across smaller parties, including the Congress (2), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (1), Aam Janata Unnayan Party (2), and Indian Secular Front (1).
The north eastern state of Assam presents a sharper decline. Despite Muslims accounting for more than one-third of the state’s population, only 22 Muslim legislators were elected in the 126-member assembly, bringing their representation down to about 17.5 percent from 24.6 percent in 2021, when 31 Muslim candidates had won.
Most Muslim legislators in Assam are concentrated within opposition ranks. The Indian National Congress accounts for 18 Muslim lawmakers out of its 19 total seats. The All India United Democratic Front has 2 Muslim MLAs, while Raijor Dal and the All India Trinamool Congress have one Muslim legislator each.
In contrast, Kerala recorded the strongest Muslim representation among the states. Out of 140 seats, 35 Muslim legislators were elected — about 25% of the assembly, close to the community’s population share.
Of these, 30 belong to the Congress-led United Democratic Front, including 8 from Congress and 22 from the Indian Union Muslim League. The remaining include members from opposition parties, with 4 from CPI(M) and 1 from CPI.
In the southern state of Tamil Nadu, where Muslims form a smaller share of the population, elected 7 Muslim legislators out of 234 seats — about 2.99%. These include 3 from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, 2 from the Indian Union Muslim League, and one each from Congress and TVK.
In Puducherry, despite Muslims accounting for over 6 percent of the population, no Muslim legislator was elected to the 30-member assembly.
The results also underscore a broader political trend. The Bharatiya Janata Party, which secured power in key states such as Assam and West Bengal, did not elect a single Muslim legislator in these assemblies.
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
