Despite forming about one-fifth of UP population and playing a deciding role in many seats, the presence of Muslims in the assembly has fallen sharply
NEW DELHI — Muslim political representation in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar has continued to fall, causing concern among community leaders, opposition parties, and political observers who say the numbers do not match the size or importance of the community’s population in these key states.
In Bihar, only 11 Muslim MLAs were elected to the assembly in 2025. In neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, the country’s most powerful and politically important state, the situation is also worrying. Although 34 Muslim MLAs were elected in the 2022 assembly elections, the number has now dropped to 32 due to convictions, disqualifications, and by-elections.
Uttar Pradesh holds huge weight in national politics. With 403 assembly seats, 80 Lok Sabha, and 31 Rajya Sabha seats, what happens in Lucknow strongly affects who rules in Delhi. Political analysts often say that any party hoping to form the central government must do well in Uttar Pradesh. Over the past decade, the BJP has used its strong performance in the state to retain power at the Centre.
Against this background, the steady fall in Muslim representation has raised serious questions about inclusion and fairness.
Muslims make up around 20 per cent of the state’s population. Their votes matter greatly in western Uttar Pradesh, the Terai belt, Rohilkhand, and parts of Purvanchal. Experts say Muslim voters influence results in about 143 assembly seats. In 73 of these seats, the Muslim population is between 35 and 50 per cent.
By population share, Uttar Pradesh should have more than 80 Muslim MLAs and at least 15 Muslim MPs in the Lok Sabha. Yet the reality is far from this. The number of Muslim MPs from the state has never crossed ten. The highest number of Muslim MLAs, 68, was seen in 2012. Since then, the figure has gone down election after election.
A senior political analyst based in Lucknow said, “When a community that is one-fifth of the population keeps losing space in elected bodies, it is not a small issue. It points to deeper problems in the political system.”
The Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2022 were held in seven phases between 10 February and 7 March. Voting took place for all 403 seats. The BJP won a clear majority with 255 seats, returning to power for the first time since 1985. Yogi Adityanath became chief minister again.
The Samajwadi Party won 111 seats. Apna Dal (Sonelal) got 12 seats, the RLD 8, the Congress 2, the Nishad Party 6, the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party 6, the Jansatta Dal (Democratic) 2, and the BSP just 1 seat.
Out of this House, only 34 MLAs were Muslims. Most of them were elected on Samajwadi Party tickets, with a few from the RLD and SBSP. Even at that time, many observers said the number was too low for a state with such a large Muslim population.
The Muslim MLAs elected in 2022 included well-known names such as Mehboob Ali from Amroha, Naseer Ahmed Khan from Chamraua, Nafees Ahmed from Gopalpur, Abdullah Azam Khan from Swar, Haji Irfan Solanki from Sisamau, Iqbal Mahmood from Sambhal, Azam Khan from Rampur, and Nahid Hasan from Kairana.
More than 30 of the 34 Muslim MLAs came from the Samajwadi Party.
Since then, legal cases and convictions have changed the picture. After Azam Khan was convicted, a by-election was held in Rampur, where BJP candidate Akash Saxena won the seat. In Kundarki, after Zia-ur-Rehman Barq became a Member of Parliament, the by-election was won by BJP’s Ramveer Singh.
In Sisamau, the seat remained with the Muslim community after Naseem Solanki won the by-election following Irfan Solanki’s conviction. In Swar, Shafiq Ahmed Ansari won after Abdullah Azam Khan’s membership was cancelled.
Even with these changes, the total number of Muslim MLAs has dropped to 32.
A Samajwadi Party leader said, “You cannot ignore the pattern. Muslim leaders face cases, disqualifications follow, and seats move to the ruling party. People are asking whether the law is being applied equally.”
The fall in Muslim representation is not limited to Uttar Pradesh. In Bihar, only 11 Muslim MLAs were elected in the latest assembly. Activists say this shows a wider trend where Muslim political space is shrinking across north India.
A Patna-based social activist said, “Muslims vote in large numbers, yet their voices in assemblies are getting weaker. This weakens democracy itself.”
Many Muslim groups say this is not only about one community. They argue that when a large section of society is pushed out of decision-making spaces, it affects policies on education, jobs, housing, and safety.
A retired civil servant from Uttar Pradesh said, “Representation matters. Assemblies should look like the people they represent. When they do not, trust breaks.”
As Uttar Pradesh moves closer to future elections, the question remains whether political parties will take steps to give fair space to Muslim candidates, or whether the gap between population and power will grow even wider.
