This is the 1st of a 2-part series based on an HT database of all-Muslim MPs and MLAs. The 2nd part will look at party-wise changes in representation of Muslims Muslims comprised 14.2% of India’s population in 2011, according to the latest published census data. In absolute terms, India likely has the third largest population of Muslims in the world. How are Muslims represented in Indian politics? What has happened to this share over time?AIMIM president and Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi addresses an event at Makkah Masjid in Hyderabad. (ANI)The first author of this story has prepared a database of all Muslim MLAs and MPs from 1952 onwards to answer this question. This is the sixth original all-India database prepared by HT ; the other databases are on the council of ministers, chief ministers, deputy chief ministers, Supreme Court judges, and governors.This two-part data journalism series will use this database to analyse the representation of Muslims in Indian parliament and assemblies. The first part will look at these trends over time and across geographies. The second part will look at Muslim representation from the perspective of political parties.A database of India’s Muslim MLAs and MPs - Part 1Muslim representation has varied, but their underrepresentation has been permanent Muslims have a share of 5.7% and 6.7% in the 9533 Lok Sabha MPs and 64009 MLAs elected in India since 1952. Both these numbers are significantly lower than their population share in India which has increased from 9.8% to 14.2% between the 1951 and 2011 census. Share of Muslim MPs reached a peak in 1980 elections when it was 9.3%. It fell to an all-time low of 4.2% in 2014, the first election in which the BJP achieved a parliamentary majority of its own. It has recovered marginally from that trough in the subsequent elections.