Muslim representation in new Lok Sabha: 24 MPs, none from BJP-led NDA

Chart 1: Muslim representation in Lok Sabha has never crossed 10%.

Muslims now account for only 4.42% of Lok Sabha’s total strength (see Chart 1), the second lowest share of all time. After a record 49 Muslim MPs (9.04% of the House) were elected in 1980, and 45 Muslim MPs (8.3% of the House) were elected in 1984, the number of Muslims in Lok Sabha has never crossed 40. In the last three Lok Sabha elections, the proportion of Muslim MPs has dropped below 5%, despite the share of Muslims in the overall population standing at 14%, as per the 2011 Census.

Chart 2: Major parties fielded lesser number of Muslim candidates this year, compared to 2019.

Among the major parties, there were fewer Muslims in the fray this year compared to in the 2019 and 2014 Lok Sabha polls — 11 major parties fielded a total of 82 Muslim candidates, of whom 16 won (see Chart 2). In 2019, these parties had fielded 115 with 16 emerging as winners.

As per 2011 Census data, there are 65 Lok Sabha constituencies where Muslims account for at least 25% of the total population, including 14 constituencies where they account for at least half the population. Lakshadweep has the highest proportion of Muslims (96.58%).

BJP holds maximum number of seats with 25%+ Muslim population.

In 2019 and 2024, the BJP won the most seats in these 65 constituencies at 25 and 20 respectively (see Chart 3). The Congress won 12 such seats in 2019, and 13 in 2024, followed by the TMC at 10 and 12, and the SP at 3 and 8.

In 2019, just 19 of these 65 constituencies elected Muslim MPs. This year, the figure stands at 22. The two Muslim MPs to be elected from constituencies where Muslims make up less than a quarter of a population are SP’s Afzal Ansari from Ghazipur, UP (10.17 Muslim population), and IUML’s Navaskani K from Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu (11.84% Muslim population. In 2019, there were seven Muslim MPs from constituencies with less than a quarter Muslim population.