Akhilesh Yadav Launches 2027 UP Campaign With 'PDA Rath', Repeats 'Vote Theft' Charge

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday launched his party's campaign for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections from Raebareli, addressing a public meeting after arriving in the city on a specially designed "PDA Rath".

Raebareli carries added political significance: it is the Lok Sabha seat held by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who won it in the 2024 general election. The SP and the Congress contested the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as partners in the INDIA bloc.

At the meeting, Yadav alleged that the Election Commission had facilitated what he described as the "vote theft" of the PDA bloc in the 2022 Assembly elections, and claimed that had such "vote theft" not taken place, the Samajwadi Party would have formed the government in Uttar Pradesh.

"The Election Commission has been exposed and has worked like a puppet. Such a low level of work may never have happened in a democracy. Now, there is no trust in the Election Commission," Yadav said.

For context, the BJP won 255 of the 403 Assembly seats in 2022 and the SP 111, with Yogi Adityanath returning as chief minister. The SP had then questioned the reliability of electronic voting machines; the Election Commission rejected those allegations and maintained that the polls were held in accordance with laid-down procedures.

PDA stands for 'Pichhde' (backward classes), Dalits and 'Alpsankhyak' (minorities) — a term Yadav coined in June 2023 that has since become a central plank of the party's electoral strategy.

Yadav further alleged that the BJP was relying on the election machinery because it knew people would not vote for it on issues such as inflation. He said those pursuing "bulldozer politics" would not be able to escape the PDA movement, and asserted that in 2027 the verdict would not merely defeat them but "demolish" and permanently eliminate such negative politics.

On a tie-up for the polls, he said, "We will have an alliance", adding that seats would be decided on winnability. "Whoever can win a seat should get that seat," he said. Referring to the 2024 general election, he added, "We defeated them in 2024 and in 2027 we will work for their permanent defeat."

Invoking the party's chariot, Yadav compared the PDA Rath to the battlefield of Kurukshetra and referred to the Mahabharata and Lord Krishna's teachings in the Bhagavad Gita.

The SP chief also criticised the BJP over the alleged demolition of religious structures in Kashi and Saharanpur, accusing it of pursuing communal politics and attempting to weaken social harmony.

On the proposed Uniform Civil Code, which has been a subject of debate across states, with Uttarakhand implementing one and several others examining proposals, Yadav said such a step should be preceded by efforts to ensure equality among citizens. "We say first make the citizens equal; first, let all of us become one. When everyone's respect becomes equal, then bring laws to increase that respect and take people forward," he said.

On employment, he promised that an SP government would work to provide jobs to young people and increase government recruitment. "If outsourcing has to be ended, we will end outsourcing," he said. He also promised free treatment in hospitals, saying people would not have to search for a card before receiving healthcare.

Yadav accused the state government of shutting primary schools while opening liquor shops, and said schools that had been closed would be reopened under an SP government. He also promised restoration of the old pension scheme for government employees.

The "PDA Rath", rolled out for the first time ahead of the 2027 polls, was the highlight of the Raebareli visit. The motorised, multi-coloured chariot carries the slogans "Samajwadi PDA Yatra" and "PDA hi parivartan layega" (PDA will bring change), along with the definition of PDA. It also displays portraits of several prominent personalities, including Dalit leaders. The slogan "Jo peedit, wo PDA" (all the oppressed are PDAs) is written in blue — a colour traditionally associated with the Bahujan and Ambedkarite political movement.