Muslim Representation in Uttar Pradesh Assembly

Muslims form the largest minority community in Uttar Pradesh where they constitute around 19% of the state population with 20 districts having the Muslim concentration above 20%. Uttar Pradesh also hosts 22% of India’s Muslim population, the largest Muslim population of all states and union territories. Besides Muslim population factor, the state also has its share of Indian Muslim culture and heritage and a history of communal riots as well. But in comparison to other states, Muslims here are more deprived socially and economically. Politically, their position is worse.

Muslims of demanding reservation at a rally held March 6, 2011 in Muzzafarnagar district of UP [TCN Photo]
The representation of Muslims in the state legislative assembly has been consistently low in proportion to their population. Whereas on other side, the Scheduled Castes, which also have the highest concentration in the state with 21% population, are represented in the assembly at par its population ratio due to the safeguard of the Indian constitution – seats are reserved for the SC community in all legislative bodies across the country according to their population.
Since the Assembly election in the state is scheduled to be held in 2012 several Muslim as well as mainstream political parties are looking to grab the maximum number of Muslim votes to increase their strength in the legislature. This piece looks into the ideal and actual Muslim representation at per their population in all districts of the state. Allocation of assembly & parliamentary constituencies is made in each state and district to ensure the proper representation of population.
Reservation of seats for SCs is also determined in proportion to their population. The Delimitation Commission demarcates the boundaries and reserves the constituencies for SCs on the population proportion basis. The Scheduled Castes in the state are 3,51,483,77 that is 21% of the total population of the state and their representation in the assembly at per their population is ensured by reserving 85 seats. These 85 seats are distributed to seventy districts as per their population share. If the criteria and methodology adopted to ensure proper representation of SCs are also used for Muslims, then the situation will be altogether different in the state assembly. In the present Assembly of Uttar Pradesh, there are 55 Muslim MLAs but in proportion to their population in the state and district-wise there should be 75 Muslim MLAs.
District
Total Population
Total Seats
Total Muslim Population
% of Muslim population
% of state Muslim Population
Entitlement of Seats as per the ratio
Existing seats won by Muslim
Moradabad
3810983
9
1735381
45.54
4.23
4
5
Muzaffarnagar
3543362
9
1349629
38.09
3.29
3
2
Bijnor
3131619
8
1306329
41.71
3.19
3
3
Bareilly
3618589
9
1226386
33.89
2.99
3
2
Saharanpur
2896863
7
1132919
39.11
2.76
3
1
Meerut
2973877
7
975715
32.81
2.38
2
2
Rampur
1923739
5
945277
49.14
2.31
2
2
Bahraich
2701478
7
829361
30.70
2.02
2
4
Ghaziabad
3314070
8
782915
23.62
1.91
2
0
Lucknow
3647834
9
748687
20.52
1.83
2
1
Sitapur
3619661
9
696126
19.23
1.70
2
1
Budaun
3069426
7
654797
21.33
1.60
2
1
Kanpur Nagar
4167999
10
653881
15.69
1.60
2
1
Allahabad
4936105
12
627735
12.72
1.53
2
1
Balrampur
1682350
4
617675
36.72
1.51
2
1
Bulandshahr
3009860
7
613660
20.39
1.50
1
1
Kheri
3207232
8
612638
19.10
1.49
1
1
Siddharthnagar
2040085
5
600336
29.43
1.46
1
1
Azamgarh
3939916
10
593907
15.07
1.45
1
0
Jyotiba Phule Nagar
1499068
4
590308
39.38
1.44
1
2
Barabanki
3060996
7
589197
19.25
1.44
1
2
Gonda
2765586
7
532585
19.26
1.30
1
2
Aligarh
2992286
7
531956
17.78
1.30
1
1
Sultanpur
3214832
8
524642
16.32
1.28
1
0
Varanasi
3138671
8
497516
15.85
1.21
1
1
Kushi Nagar
2893196
7
487674
16.86
1.19
1
0
Shahjahanpur
2464930
6
455049
18.46
1.11
1
0
Hardoi
3398306
8
445419
13.11
1.09
1
3
Jaunpur
3911679
9
399186
10.20
0.97
1
1
Pilibhit
1728108
4
390773
22.61
0.95
1
3
Pratapgarh
2731174
7
374126
13.70
0.91
1
0
Maharajganj
2173878
5
357822
16.46
0.87
1
0
Mau
1853997
4
353003
19.04
0.86
1
1
Gorakhpur
3769456
9
344960
9.15
0.84
1
0
Sant Kabir Nagar
1420226
3
341154
24.02
0.83
1
2
Rae Bareli
2872335
7
340129
11.84
0.83
1
0
Ambedkar Nagar
2026876
5
332212
16.39
0.81
1
0
Agra
3621702
9
323634
8.94
0.79
1
1
Etah
2760350
7
319386
11.57
0.78
1
0
Deoria
2712650
7
308731
11.38
0.75
1
1
Fatehpur
2308384
6
307047
13.30
0.75
1
0
Basti
2084814
5
306540
14.70
0.75
1
0
Faizabad
1701513
4
304434
17.89
0.74
1
0
Shrawasti
855985
2
301117
35.18
0.73
1
0
Ghazipur
3037582
7
300327
9.89
0.73
1
2
Unnao
2700324
6
296780
10.99
0.72
1
0
Baghpat
1163991
3
287871
24.73
0.70
1
1
Firozabad
2081752
5
260414
12.51
0.64
1
1
Farrukhabad
1570408
4
232599
14.81
0.57
1
1
Kannauj
1388923
3
219104
15.78
0.53
1
0
Ballia
2761620
7
181553
6.57
0.44
0
0
Kaushambi
1293154
3
174698
13.51
0.43
0
0
Chandauli
1643251
4
168281
10.24
0.41
0
0
Mathura
2074516
5
167628
8.08
0.41
0
0
Sant Ravidas Nagar
1353705
3
161962
11.96
0.40
0
0
Mirzapur
2074709
5
158204
7.63
0.39
0
0
Gautam Buddha Nagar
1105292
3
156415
14.15
0.38
0
0
Jalaun
1454452
3
146317
10.06
0.36
0
0
Kanpur Dehat
1563336
4
145525
9.31
0.36
0
0
Mahamaya Nagar
1336031
3
134851
10.09
0.33
0
0
Jhansi
1744931
4
129785
7.44
0.32
0
0
Banda
1501602
4
126203
8.40
0.31
0
0
Etawah
1338871
3
95926
7.16
0.23
0
0
Mainpuri
1596718
4
84577
5.30
0.21
0
0
Auraiya
1179993
3
83719
7.09
0.20
0
0
Hamirpur
993792
2
83064
8.36
0.20
0
0
Sonbhadra
1504852
4
79102
5.26
0.19
0
0
Mahoba
758379
2
47335
6.24
0.12
0
0
Lalitpur
977734
2
28796
2.95
0.07
0
0
Chitrakoot
801957
2
27168
3.39
0.07
0
0
Total
166197921
403
30740158
18.50
75
75
55
Methodology of seat reservation
Entitlement of Seats for Muslim = Proportion of Muslim Population to Total multiplied by 403
(403 i.e. total Seats in the Legislative Assembly)
Proportion of Muslim 0.1850
Total Assembly Seats 403

Seats for Muslim in Assembly = 0.1850x 403 = 75
Seats for Muslim in District = Population of Muslim in District X 75
Population of Muslim in State.
Published in Twocircles on 27 May 2011

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