PATNA, Oct. 24 -- Muslims are sore, they are once again hurt over the step-motherly treatment given by parties in giving tickets for the Bihar assembly elections 2025 with only 34 candidates getting tickets from different political parties as against 41 in 2020. Muslims account for 17.7% of Bihar's population that roughly translates to 2.30 crore. But as the Assembly election approaches, they are hard to spot among the candidate lists of political parties. They are at a crossroads as to whom to vote. Ignoring the constant demand of Muslim bodies for more representation of their community when political parties distribute their tickets, the RJD has fielded 18 (12.58%) Muslim candidates out of 143 names released by the party as against 15 out of 144 it contested in 2020. The Muslims, this has been overlooked by the JD (U), which has always claimed to have worked for the community's welfare. This year only four (3.96%) Muslims have been included in the lit of 101. The JD (U) had given tickets to 10 Muslims in 2020. The Congress has fielded 10 (out of 61) candidates. BJP has not fielded any Muslims, while LJP(RV) one; Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party promised to field 40 and named 21. The Muslim population is over 20% in 87 constituencies, and about 75% of the community in the state live in northern Bihar. The other two NDA allies, the Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Morcha, are each contesting six seats and are not fielding any Muslims. A couple of days back, Muslim leaders held an informal meeting in Patna and expressed their resentment after party's overlooked their claim. "It was an informal meeting. We will meet again but at the same time we don't have an option," said Anwarul Hooda. "We are disappointed. The parties are afraid that if our numbers increase, it may lead to polarisation. All our talks on representation as per population have gone for a toss. These secular parties are afraid of whom? But all said done, in the interest of the nation and to support secular forces, we will continue our support to GA," said Ali ANwar, a former JD (U) MP (now in Congress) and president of All India PAsmanda Muslim Mahaj. Earlier last year, ahead of Lok Sabha elections, a meeting of Muslim leaders, held under the aegis of Adl-O-Insaf Front, passed a resolution that there are at least 15 Lok Sabha seats out of the total 40 in the state where Muslim votes range between 12 and 42% whereas Kishanganj has 68% Muslim voters. In 2014, only four members from the community were elected to the Lok Sabha from Bihar while in 2009, only three could make it to Parliament. Historically, Bihar Muslims have always suffered from chronic electoral underrepresentation. The number of Muslim MLAs in the state Assembly has never crossed 10%, except marginally in 1985. The state has only had one Muslim Chief Minister, Abdul Ghafoor, who helmed the state government for less than two years in the 1970s. In the 17 Assembly elections held between 1952 and 2020, the state has elected only 390 Muslim MLAs, accounting for just 7.8% of all MLAs. The high point came in 1985, when there were 34 Muslim MLAs in the 324-strong legislature of undivided Bihar. In the last Assembly election in 2020, only 19 Muslim MLAs were elected to the 243-seat Assembly. Poor and underprivileged Pasmanda Muslims have fared even worse in terms of electoral representation. Despite the community accounting for 73% of the State's 2.3 crore Muslims, just 18% of Muslim MLAs have been Pasmanda so far. In 2020, there were just five Pasmanda MLAs, four from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and one from the Rashtriya Janata Dal. No of Muslim MLAs 2005-- 16 2010 -- 19 2015 --- 24 2020 --- 19...