Over 50% of constituencies lack Muslim candidates, with Congress and BJP fielding very few bets from the community
Team Clarion
MUMBAI – A concerning trend has emerged: More than 50% of the constituencies in Maharashtra in the upcoming assembly elections will see no Muslim candidates, with the rest having only a limited representation from the community. This shift raises important questions about the political engagement and representation of Muslims in the state.
Out of the 288 constituencies in Maharashtra, more than 150 will have no Muslim candidates. Moreover, of the 4,136 candidates contesting in the elections, only 420 are from the Muslim community, and more than half of them are running as independents. This marks a significant decline in Muslim representation, particularly considering the state’s sizable Muslim population.
Both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have notably distanced themselves from Muslim representation in this election. Congress has given tickets to only nine Muslim candidates, while the BJP has not fielded any Muslim at all. This stark underrepresentation contrasts sharply with the larger numbers fielded by smaller parties.
The All India Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), led by Asaduddin Owaisi, has fielded the largest number of Muslim candidates —150 in total. Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Ajit Pawar, has given tickets to five Muslim candidates.
In some areas, the Muslim community is significantly represented. For example, in Malegaon, all 13 candidates are Muslims. In Aurangabad East, 17 out of 29 candidates are Muslims, including three women. However, these instances are exceptions rather than the norm. Across the state, the number of Muslim women candidates is limited to just 22, and in 270 out of 288 seats, there are no Muslim women candidates.
The electoral situation paints a clear picture of underrepresentation, with the number of Muslim candidates, particularly women, remaining disproportionately low compared to the state’s population.
Political Alliances and Trends
The upcoming election is a contest between two major political alliances: Mahayuti, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar’s NCP, and Congress. Despite the differences between the two coalitions, both have been criticised for failing to ensure adequate Muslim representation in their lists of candidates.
As voters prepare for the November 20 elections, with results to be announced on November 23, the lack of Muslim candidates raises concerns about whether political parties are truly reflecting the state’s diverse demographic in their choices. The significant absence of Muslim voices in the legislative assembly could lead to questions about how well the community’s issues and concerns will be addressed in the coming years.
