Rae Bareli, September 24 (TNA) Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday launched the party’s PDA Rath Yatra from Rae Bareli, marking the beginning of an outreach campaign ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
The PDA strategy refers to the party’s proposed social coalition of backward classes, Dalits and minorities. Yadav is travelling in a specially prepared saffron-coloured vehicle, which the party has presented as its PDA Rath.
The yatra began from Bachhrawan and is scheduled to pass through Harchandpur before culminating in Rae Bareli city. Yadav is expected to visit the residence of Harchandpur MLA and OBC leader Rahul Lodhi and address a public meeting at the GIC ground.
The choice of Rae Bareli carries political significance as the constituency is associated with the Congress and is represented in the Lok Sabha by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The launch comes as the SP and Congress prepare for seat-sharing discussions ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls.
The SP has said the campaign will focus on meeting families who are dissatisfied with police or administrative action. During the Rae Bareli visit, Yadav is also expected to meet members of the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha involved in a recent dispute at Feroze Gandhi Degree College.
The yatra was initially expected to begin in early October but was brought forward to September 24. Party leaders said the programme would strengthen the organisation at the grassroots level and expand the SP’s outreach among backward, Dalit and minority communities.