Muslim Representation in India’s Parliament Sees Slight Decline in 2024 Elections
The 2024 Indian general elections saw a slight decline in the number of Muslim lawmakers elected to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament.
According to the final results, 24 Muslim candidates won seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha, down from 26 in the 2019 elections. This comes despite Muslims making up 14% of India’s 1.4 billion population, with their parliamentary representation historically remaining below 5%.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 240 seats, falling short of the 272-seat majority required to govern on its own. The main opposition Indian National Congress party won 99 seats.
Many of the successful Muslim candidates belong to opposition parties or contested as independents. The winners include 7 from the Congress party, 5 from the All India Trinamool Congress, and 4 from the Samajwadi Party.
Prominent Muslim faces in the new parliament include Asaduddin Owaisi, who retained his Hyderabad seat, and former cricketer Yusuf Pathan, who won in West Bengal. However, only 2 of the 24 Muslim MPs elected are women.
Congress candidate Sofia Firdous has become the first Muslim woman MLA in the history of Odisha since Independence.
Experts say greater awareness and education within the Muslim community have encouraged more participation, with 31% of Muslim candidates winning this year compared to 23% in 2019. However, they note that the community’s representation remains disproportionately low in India’s legislature.
It should be mentioned that Narendra Modi’s new government will be sworn in on Sunday evening, making him prime minister for a historic third consecutive term.
