New Delhi: As Bihar prepares for the 2025 Assembly elections, Muslim leaders and activists are pressing for proportional representation in politics, citing decades of underrepresentation despite the community’s sizeable population. With Muslims forming over 17 percent of Bihar’s 130 million residents, their current tally of only 19 out of 243 assembly seats has become a key electoral issue.
Community leaders argue that political power is crucial for addressing widespread socio-economic disparities. Historical data underscores this imbalance. Since 1952, Bihar has elected 4,593 MLAs, of which only 334 were Muslims—just 7.27 percent, far below the expected 633 seats proportionate to their population. The community’s peak came in 1985 when 34 Muslim MLAs were elected, a record that still stands.
“The community has been sidelined for decades,” said Maulana Zahid Qureshi, a Patna-based activist. “It is time political parties recognise our numbers and give us our rightful share.” Analysts note that despite the enduring Muslim-Yadav alliance under the RJD and the Congress’s earlier dominance, Muslims remain short-changed in candidate selection.
The 2020 elections saw AIMIM enter Bihar’s Seemanchal region, winning five seats and signalling dissatisfaction with traditional parties. Analysts warn that continued neglect could lead to further fragmentation of Muslim votes.
Leaders point to the Sachar Committee’s findings that Muslims lag behind Dalits and Adivasis in education and jobs, blaming political marginalisation as a root cause. With the recent caste census adding urgency, Muslim voters are now more vocal in demanding real participation, not token representation.
The 2025 elections are being watched to see whether the record of 1985 will be surpassed and whether political parties will address Muslim aspirations with seriousness.
