NAGPUR: As Maharashtra gears up for assembly elections, data reveals a stark under representation of Muslim candidates who make up only about 10% of the total contestants, according to the state’s election department. Of 4,136 candidates vying for seats in 288 constituencies, only 420 are Muslims, and more than half of these are running as independents.
Major parties have fielded relatively few. Congress has put forth only nine Muslim candidates, while BJP has fielded none. However, NCP led by Ajit Pawar has given tickets to five, deviating from ally BJP’s approach.
Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM has fielded the highest number of Muslim candidates among the parties, with 16, while smaller parties account for 150. Of the 420 Muslim candidates, 218 are running as independents.
A TOI analysis of the data found that over 150 constituencies do not have a single Muslim candidate, while nearly 50 constituencies have just one in the race. The numbers thin out even further in many areas, though five constituencies are deviations, featuring seven Muslim candidates each.
Malegaon Central stands as an exception to the state’s broader trends, as all its 13 candidates are Muslims. Aurangabad East also has a higher-than-average number of minority candidates — 17 of the 29 contesting in this seat are Muslim, three of whom are women.
Across Maharashtra, Muslim women are severely underrepresented, making up only 22 of the total candidate pool. This means that roughly .5% of all candidates are Muslim women. Out of 288 constituencies, 270 do not have even one Muslim woman candidate, whether independent or party-affiliated.
According to former state cabinet minister Anees Ahemad, the financial demands of elections make it “out of reach for most middle-class candidates, particularly from minority communities”. He said: “We need to encourage minority women to step forward, but the high cost often holds them back.”
