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Uttar Pradesh Election 2027: Akhilesh Yadav’s PDA Rath Yatra From Rae Bareli Puts SP-Congress Ties in Focus
Haripriya 23 Sept 2026 5 min read 141 views
Lucknow, September 23, 2026: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav is set to begin a PDA Rath Yatra from Bachhrawan to Rae Bareli on September 24, bringing the Samajwadi Party’s PDA — Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak — political outreach into a more visible phase ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election.
The choice of Rae Bareli has attracted political attention because it is the Lok Sabha (opens in a new tab) constituency represented by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The programme also comes at a time when the SP and Congress are expected to discuss seat-sharing arrangements for the 2027 Assembly election.
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The September 24 programme will see Akhilesh Yadav travel from Bachhrawan towards Rae Bareli, including a visit to the residence of Harchandpur MLA Rahul Lodhi before the programme concludes in Rae Bareli city. The SP has announced a wider PDA Rath campaign, although the detailed schedule and route for the complete statewide campaign have not yet been finalised.
The PDA formulation refers to Pichhda (backward classes), Dalits and Alpsankhyak (minorities). The SP has been using this framework as part of its social and organisational outreach ahead of the Assembly election.
Earlier reports said the party had prepared a specially designed campaign bus for the proposed PDA Rath Yatra.
Rae Bareli Programme Also Linked to Local Political Dispute
The Rae Bareli programme comes after a September 17 confrontation involving members of the ABVP and the SP-affiliated Chhatra Sabha at Feroze Gandhi Degree College in Rae Bareli.
The SP has alleged that its student-wing members were assaulted and has questioned the police response. SP MLA Rahul Lodhi has also made allegations concerning police action. Police have rejected the allegations and said their intervention was aimed at maintaining law and order.
SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary told the Indian Express that the immediate reason for Akhilesh Yadav's Rae Bareli visit was the alleged manhandling of Chhatra Sabha leaders and what the party described as an inadequate administrative response. He also said the September 24 programme should be viewed separately from the formal launch of the wider PDA Yatra.
SP-Congress Seat-Sharing Talks in Focus
The selection of Rae Bareli has also brought the relationship between the Samajwadi Party and Congress into focus.
Rahul Gandhi represents Rae Bareli in the Lok Sabha (opens in a new tab), giving Congress a direct political interest in the constituency. At the same time, the SP has a significant presence across the Assembly segments falling under the Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency.
Of the five Assembly segments under the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency, three are represented by SP MLAs — Bachhrawan, Harchandpur and Sareni — while Rae Bareli and Unchahar are represented by BJP MLAs, according to the Indian Express report.
This existing Assembly-level representation could become relevant when the SP and Congress discuss their respective claims in the region. However, the SP has sought to keep Akhilesh Yadav's September 24 programme separate from the seat-sharing negotiations.
Congress Also Watching Developments
Congress leaders are closely following the SP's activities in Rae Bareli as both parties consider their arrangements for the 2027 election.
The Congress has reportedly been pressing for the seat-sharing discussions to move forward, while both parties are working on their respective campaign strategies and political messaging.
The exact terms of any future seat-sharing arrangement were not settled in the report, making the coming discussions an important part of the political preparations for the election.
SP's Broader PDA Outreach
The Rae Bareli programme is part of a broader effort by the SP to take its PDA messaging to different parts of Uttar Pradesh.
Recent reporting indicates that the party is also planning events in areas where the BJP has traditionally been strong, including programmes in Agra and Gorakhpur, as part of its efforts to expand its social outreach ahead of the 2027 Assembly election.
The SP's PDA strategy was also prominent during the 2024 Lok Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh, when the party won 37 of the state's 80 Lok Sabha seats. The BJP won 33 seats in Uttar Pradesh in that election.
The 2024 results remain an important reference point for the parties (opens in a new tab) as they prepare for the next Assembly election, although the Assembly contest will involve different constituencies, candidates and local political dynamics.
BJP's Election Preparations
The SP's increased public outreach comes alongside election preparations by the BJP and other political parties.
The BJP is also focusing on organisational activities and communicating the record of the state government as the 2027 Assembly election approaches. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has recently highlighted employment and government recruitment as part of his administration's public messaging.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government has begun preparations for a vote-on-account or interim budget for the beginning of the 2027-28 financial year, according to recent reporting.
2027 Uttar Pradesh Election: Key Issues to Watch
As campaigning gradually becomes more active, several developments are likely to remain important:
The expansion and route of the SP's PDA Rath Yatra.
SP-Congress coordination and seat-sharing discussions.
BJP's organisational and government-outreach programmes.
Social coalition strategies adopted by different political parties.
Local constituency-level issues and candidate selection.
Employment, governance and development-related issues raised during the campaign.
The September 24 Rae Bareli programme therefore represents both a public outreach exercise by the SP and an important moment in the political preparations taking place ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election. The significance of the programme for SP-Congress coordination will become clearer as the two parties move toward discussions on their electoral arrangements.
“The PDA Rath Yatra places Political Parties and their social outreach strategies at the centre of Uttar Pradesh Politics ahead of the 2027 Elections. The Rae Bareli programme is also significant for the SP-Congress relationship, while issues of Governance and representation remain important beyond the Lok Sabha level. The coming months will provide more clarity on the parties' campaign strategies and their approach to seat-sharing.”
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