The Muslim United Front (MUF) and Muslim JAC Guntur, Andhra Pradesh are urging political parties within the INDIA bloc, such as the Congress party, to allocate a minimum of 50 Lok Sabha seats for Muslim candidates. The demand comes as a response to what many perceive as inadequate representation of the Muslim community in the country’s political landscape. During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, only 23 Muslim Members of Parliament (MPs) were elected, a figure that falls short of reflecting the proportional representation of Muslims in India’s population.
Mohammed Kaleem, President of MUF and MJAC, has penned a letter to AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, who also chairs the INDIA grouping, outlining the need for greater Muslim representation in Parliament. Kaleem highlighted the disparity between the current number of Muslim MPs and the community’s share of the population, stressing the urgency of addressing this gap. He proposed the allocation of at least 10 Lok Sabha seats to Muslim candidates in the southern region, pointing out that while the INDIA bloc holds power in South India, except for Andhra Pradesh, the representation of Muslims in these regions remains insufficient.
