Lucknow, September 25: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has launched the party’s PDA Rath Yatra from Rae Bareli as part of its mobilisation ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. PDA refers to Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak (backward classes, Dalits and minorities). The choice of Rae Bareli, the Lok Sabha constituency of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, has brought the SP-Congress relationship into focus ahead of expected seat-sharing discussions. Yadav has said the alliance with Congress remains strong and that seat-sharing should be based on the ability to win individual constituencies. The statewide campaign seeks to consolidate the SP’s PDA social coalition ahead of next year’s polls.
