Political representation of a minority: Muslim representation in contemporary India

Set against the political ascendance of the Hindu Nationalist BJP, this paper engages with the issue of political representation of Indian Muslims in the legislative arena. It gives an overview of broad trends and patterns in Muslim representation and seeks to draw out conclusions by focusing exclusively on the last two parliamentary elections. The paper argues while the Muslims have remained underrepresented in the legislative arena since Independence, the rise of BJP on a decidedly majoritarian political and social agenda makes it distinct from the earlier period. The attempt here is to flag out systemic shifts in Indian politics and what they mean for Indian Muslims. How different these shifts are for the Muslims compared to their past experience? And what are its possible implications?