Less Than 10% of India’s Governors, Lieutenant Governors, and Administrators Have Been Muslim, Report Finds

Less Than 10% of India’s Governors, Lieutenant Governors, and Administrators Have Been Muslim, Report Finds
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According to a new book by Mohammed Abdul Mannan, At the Bottom of the Ladder: State of the Indian Muslims, cited by Clarion India, only 61 Muslims have served as governors, lieutenant governors (L-Gs), and administrators out of 673 appointments in India since Independence. The study highlights persistent underrepresentation of Muslims in key constitutional posts across states and Union Territories (UTs).

The report notes that only 57 Muslims have been appointed governors historically, and just four have served as L-Gs. Since 2014, there have been only three Muslim governors, the lowest in a decade. Currently, only two Muslims hold governorships: Justice (Retd) S Abdul Nazeer in Andhra Pradesh and Arif Mohammed Khan in Bihar, the latter becoming Bihar’s first Muslim governor in 26 years after his 2024 appointment.

Several states have seen little or no Muslim representation among their governors or L-Gs. For example, the UTs of Andaman & Nicobar, Delhi, and Puducherry currently have no Muslim L-Gs, while only two of 35 administrators in Lakshadweep have been Muslim. Historically, some states such as Odisha (seven Muslims), Kerala (four), and Maharashtra (four) have had higher representation, but many others—including Chhattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Telangana—have had none.

Mannan’s study situates these figures within broader governance concerns, noting the political role of governors, discretionary powers under Articles 163 and 356 of the Constitution, and historical patterns of politicization of Raj Bhavans. The findings highlight long-standing challenges in ensuring equitable representation of India’s Muslim population in the highest state-level constitutional offices.