Samajwadi Party National President Akhilesh Yadav greets supporters as they welcome him during his visit to Rae Bareli
Lucknow: Launching Samajwadi Party ’s PDA Yatra campaign for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections from Cong bastion Rae Bareli, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday likened the upcoming electoral battle to the Mahabharat, describing the party’s campaign chariot as a symbol of Kurukshetra. Earlier reporting noted: 2027 campaign launched as PDA Rath rolls in Rae Bareli, Akhilesh Yadav says alliance with Congress strong As his PDA Rath rolled out in the Congress stronghold of Rae Bareli on Thursday to mark the formal launch of the Samajwadi Party’s campaign for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh elections, SP national president Akhilesh Yadav reiterated that his party’s alliance with the Congress is strong and their sole aim is to defeat the BJP. We defeated them in 2024, now we will remove them permanently in 2027,” he said.
Addressing a large gathering that waited through hours of rain and drizzle before his arrival on PDA Yatra Rath, Akhilesh said, “Rath humare desh ki sanskriti mein Kurukshetra ka prateek hai aur Mahabharat ka bhi…” (In our culture, the chariot symbolises Kurukshetra and the Mahabharat). He said the rath also represented Lord Krishna’s guidance, dharma and the wisdom of Bhagavad Gita delivered on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. The remarks come amid opposition jibes that PDA Yatra Rath carries more saffron than Samajwadi Party’s traditional red-and-green colours. Praising Harchandpur MLA Rahul Lodhi for standing firm despite the denial, Akhilesh remarked that while the larger contest in Uttar Pradesh may be between PDA and BJP, in Rae Bareli “it has become Yogi versus Lodhi. Our sole aim is to defeat the BJP. This time, the bulldozer of people’s votes will demolish the BJP forever. PDA will remove the BJP from UP this time.
The SP president thanked Rae Bareli party workers for organising the event after district authorities earlier denied permission for a Samajwadi Chatra Sabha programme in Rae Bareli this month. Earlier reporting noted: “The BJP has stooped to negative politics. Earlier reporting noted: Speaking to the media after the Rath Yatra in Rae Bareli, he said, “I have said it earlier also and today once again I am saying that our alliance is very strong and we will work for the alliance.
Returning to the PDA plank, originally coined to represent Pichhde, Dalit and Alpsankhyak (backwards, Dalits and minorities), Akhilesh said the coalition had now expanded into a broader movement to defend Constitution, reservation and democracy. “This PDA movement will not spare those who use bulldozers,” he said in an apparent reference to the state’s bulldozer-driven law-and-order campaign.