Raebareli: Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav travelled from Lucknow to Raebareli aboard the party’s PDA Rath, drawing large crowds at several points along the route. The journey culminated in a public meeting at the Government Inter College Ground-II, where a large gathering welcomed the SP leader.
Addressing the rally, Yadav thanked supporters for turning up despite rain and difficult weather conditions. He congratulated Raebareli district president Engineer Virendra Yadav, MLAs Rahul Lodhi and Shyam Sundar Bharti, and party workers and representatives for organising the programme.
Yadav said the PDA campaign was gaining momentum across Uttar Pradesh. He accused the BJP of pursuing what he described as negative politics and alleged that the administration was being used for political purposes. These were political allegations made by Yadav and the Samajwadi Party.
Describing PDA as a social movement, Yadav said it sought to bring together people who, according to him, had faced deprivation, distress or humiliation. He linked the campaign with the Constitution, reservation, democracy, Indian identity and cultural values.
Targeting the BJP government, Yadav raised issues including employment, paper leaks, investment, law and order, education and healthcare. He alleged that young people had not received adequate employment opportunities and claimed that government schools and public services had suffered during the BJP’s tenure.
Yadav also criticised the government over what he described as actions affecting cultural and religious sites in Varanasi and alleged irregularities involving donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. He further alleged electoral irregularities and referred to ongoing political controversy surrounding the Election Commission. The allegations were presented by Yadav as part of his political address.
On the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Yadav called upon party workers to strengthen the organisation in every constituency and set a target of increasing the party’s vote count by 27,000 votes in each assembly segment. He also said the SP would contest the election as part of an alliance, with seat-sharing based on electoral performance.
Earlier, Yadav received welcomes from party workers and members of the public at several locations on the Lucknow-Raebareli route. At Churuwa on the Lucknow-Raebareli border, he boarded the PDA Rath near the Hanuman temple. Supporters gathered on both sides of the road and raised slogans in support of Yadav and the Samajwadi Party.
Former cabinet minister Rajendra Chaudhary accompanied Yadav on the Rath. The SP described the turnout during the journey and at the Raebareli meeting as a demonstration of support for its PDA campaign ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
