MUSLIM MPS’ TALLY DIPS TO LOWEST EVER IN NEW HOUSE

NEW DELHI: The BJP-led NDA alliance’s crushing majority has had a knockdown impact on the political representation of Muslims, India’s largest religious minority. With only 22 MPs, the 16th Lok Sabha will have only 4% Muslim lawmakers from the community, the lowest ever. The dip is comparable to immediate post-Partition levels.

While India celebrates the colossal mandate, some Muslims are wondering the possible impact of the mandate on their dwindling political representation, which wasn’t robust in the previous Lok Sabha led by the UPA.

The number of the Muslim MPs elected to the outgoing Lok Sabha had dropped to 28 in 2009 from 34 in the 14 Lok Sabha that ushered in the first UPA government in 2004. For a representation commensurate with their population of 13%, Muslims need at least 75 in the lower house.

“The BJP’s contingent of 272+ does not have a single Muslim MP. This is not surprising because the BJP did not give tickets to many Muslims. The 16th Lok Sabha has the lowest ever-representation of Muslims, which does not augur well for Indian democracy,” said political scientist Zoya Hasan.

BJP sources on Saturday blamed anti- Muslim comments by Giriraj Singh, its MP-elect from Bihar’s Nawada for defeat of candidates, such as Shahnawaz Hussain. There is no Muslim MP from UP for the first time.

In fact, the community has always been underrepresented, expect in 1980 when the percentage of Muslim MPs in the Lok Sabha at 9%, roughly comparable to the their population of 11.4% according to the 1981 Census.