A cursory look at the past will show that the situation is similar to that in 1957 when 23 Muslim MPs were elected after the general elections. The highest number of Muslim MPs elected was 49 in 1980 general elections.

The results of the recent general elections has, however, led to much head-shaking among the Muslim clerics and in the 'secular' cabal, pointing accusatory fingers to Modi wave that swept the polls.

No doubt that with the increase in population, the Muslims, which constitute about 14.6% of the population, deserve to be represented well in the Indian Parliament.

However, the trend in Muslim representation in the Lok Sabha has been erratic. A careful analysis of the past will show that the number of Muslim MPs remained within 20s since the first general elections in 1951-52 till the fifth general elections in 1971. In 1977 general elections, the number of Muslim MPs increased to 32 and thereafter reached its record high at 49 in 1980 general elections. In 1984-85 general elections which bounced back Rajiv Gandhi as prime minister with a record majority of 404 seats, riding on Indira Gandhi sympathy wave, the number of Muslim MPs elected fell to 45 and thereafter the numbers declined to 33 in 1989, 29 in 1991 and 27 in 1996.

The number of Muslim MPs remained within 30s following general elections in 1998 - it was 38 in 1998, 32 in 1999, 35 in 2004 and 28 in 2009.

What has raised concerns among the Muslim clergy and the 'secularists' is that in 2014 polls, from the largest state, Uttar Pradesh, that has over 18% of Muslim population not a single Muslim MP was elected. In fact this has been the first instance ever so far that no Muslim MPs was elected from this state. The number of Muslim MPs elected from UP varied in every elections - the highest number being 18 in 1980 and the lowest being five in 1962.

In the last general elections in 2009, seven Muslim candidates - Salman Khurshid , Mohammad Azharuddin and Zafar Ali Naqvi from the Congress and Kadir Rana, Shafiqur Rehman Barq, Kaiser Jahan and Tabassum Hasan from BSP won from UP.

This time there were 55 Muslim candidates in the poll fray in UP - BSP fielded 19 Muslims, Samajwadi Party 13, Congress 11 and the Aam Aadmi Party 12. Interestingly, none of the Muslim contestants made it even to the second spot. Most lost heavily. BJP did not field any field any Muslim candidate but won from at least 21 constituencies in which the Muslim community has a decisive say, expect Azamgarh and Badaun which were cornered by the Samajwadi Party.

Who is responsible for this situation? The so-called secular parties treated Muslims as their vote bank and never supported their actual development to join the national mainstream. Each of these parties through their policy of appeasement scrambled for Muslim votes. Their one-point agenda was 'Stop Modi, Stop BJP'. They tried to instill fear in the minds of the Muslims that BJP's victory would be dangerous for them. Sharp competition among so called secular parties split the Muslim votes. BJP which extended its reach breaking caste and religion barriers with its programmes for development was the ultimate gainer. Even some Muslims, including the Shias voted for BJP.

Similar was the case in other parts of the country. It is not that BJP did not put up any Muslim candidates outside UP. The party fielded five Muslim candidates in total. But all of them lost including Shahnawaz Hussain from Bhagalpur in Bihar who lost by a narrow margin of 9,485 votes. Though in the list of 282 BJP’s winning candidates there is no Muslim, but in the list of 336 NDA’s winning candidates, Muslim candidate Choudhary Mahboob Ali Kaiser won from Khagaria in Bihar on Ram Bilas Paswan-led Lok Jansakti Party ticket.

Though UP has been unable to elect any Muslim MP for the Lok Sabha, West Bengal elected as many as 8 MPs from the community – 4 from Trinamool Congress, 2 each from Congress and CPI(M). Bihar elected 4 Muslim MPs – one each from Congress, NCP, RJD and Lok Jan Shakti Party. Kerala and Jammu and Kashmir elected 3 Muslim MPs each. Two Muslim MPs from Kerala are from Indian Union Muslim League and one from Congress. In Jammu and Kashmir all the 3 elected MPs are from Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party. Assam elected 2 Muslim MPs from All India United Democratic Front. Andhra Pradesh, Lakshadweep and Tamil Nadu elected one Muslim MP each from All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen, Nationalist Congress Party and AIADMK respectively.

Why blame the BJP alone? The so-called secular parties have not been able to get adequate number of Muslim MPs elected to the Lok Sabha. They were more engaged in Modi baiting and instilling fears in the minds of the Muslims that a BJP government would work against their interests. They projected themselves as “saviours” of the Muslims, in the name of “secularism”. This is how they wanted create their vote bank among the Muslim community.

Modi after coming to power needs to expose this fake secularism and vote bank politics. The BJP needs to shake hands and have an honourable deal with the Muslims for the real development of the community.