Akhilesh visits Raebareli under ‘PDA Yatra’ eyeing broader public outreach

The Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday (September 24, 2026) reached Raebareli, embarking on a vehicle rally, PDA Rath (chariot), seen as part of the party’s broader mobilization outreach across Uttar Pradesh, focusing on its backward, Dalit and minority (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) social coalition ahead of the 2027 State Assembly elections. The party said Mr. Yadav will visit places and meet people facing atrocities at the hands of feudal forces backed by the BJPgovernment.

Mr. Yadav, speaking in Raebareli, urged common people to support the SP in the fight against dominant, hegemonic people and join the PDA movement. “The chariot is a symbol of Kurukshetra and the Mahabharata in our country’s culture. Even God had once recited the Gita on a similar chariot. The fight against these dominant, hegemonic people is not over yet. Through the PDA movement, all our oppressed and humiliated people are becoming united,” he said. 

The SP chief accused the BJP government of using bulldozers on marginalized and innocent people. “These people who are roaming around with bulldozers, they do not use them on their own people; they occupy ponds, land, houses, but no action is taken. I would like to tell my workers to work towards increasing 27,000 votes in every assembly constituency for the assembly elections,” he said.

Mr. Yadav said the backwards and Dalits have realised their strength. “These [the BJP] are the fake Hindus who demolished countless temples by running bulldozers on Kashi, the oldest place on earth. This time the people of PDA have realised their strength and numbers, this time they are neither going to bow down nor retreat. We have just defeated them in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, in 2027 we will work to permanently eliminate them politically. This is our fight that is thousands of years old,”. 

When asked by local reporters about the choice of Raebareli for the start of the PDA Rath Yatra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “We organised this programme in honour of Rahul Lodhi, our MLA, Engineer Virendra Yadav, and the members of the student wing, who were subjected to injustice and mistreatment in Raebareli. We will always stand with them. Wherever the PDA is insulted or discriminated against, members of the Samajwadi Party will be seen standing with them. “

The SP further added that the Rath Yatra conveyed the strong message of PDA unity. “PDA Rath Yatra in Raebareli not only conveyed the strong message of PDA unity after the humiliation of Samajwadi Party leaders by ABVP with state support but also set the tone for 2027 campaigning. The enthusiastic response of the people conveyed people’s anger against inflation, unemployment and anti PDA policy of Yogi Govt in Uttar Pradesh,” said Sudhir Panwar, a senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader. 

Congress took a cautious approach to the visit, adding that both parties are united under the opposition umbrella. “If they’re traveling from there, you should understand what that means. When Rahul ji’s hand is in their hand, where’s the worry about anything,” said Imran Masood, the Lok Sabha MP from Congress.