From 49 to 22: The Troubling Reduction of Muslim MPs in India's Parliament

The political representation of Indian Muslims has significantly declined in recent years. Despite being 18% of the population, Muslims hold only 2.76% of parliamentary seats, the lowest in history. In 1980, there were 49 Muslim MPs; today, there are just 22. This underrepresentation extends to state legislatures, with only 6% of over 4,000 state legislators being Muslim, leading to difficulties in securing resources and opposing harmful policies, causing alienation and distrust in democratic processes.