Samajwadi Part cadres gather in big numbers as Akhilesh Yadav's 'PDA Rath' arrives in Raebareli

Visuals from the scene captured a sea of enthusiastic supporters wearing signature red Samajwadi caps, waving party flags, and raising slogans in support of the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.

Standing atop the open section of the campaign bus, Yadav greeted the crowd, waving to the cheering cadres who had lined the road for several hundred meters.

The turnout along the highway is being viewed as a major show of strength by the Samajwadi Party in the Gandhi family bastion of Raebareli, which is currently represented in Parliament by Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi.

The massive reception took place shortly after Yadav boarded the 'PDA Rath' at Churua village in the Bachhrawan area, officially beginning his campaign for the 2027 state elections with the launch of the 'PDA Rath' from Lucknow to Raebareli. The red buses left the state capital on Thursday with party cadres in tow.

The high-profile tour aboard the 'PDA Rath' is seen as part of the Samajwadi Party's broader mobilization drive across central Uttar Pradesh, focusing on its backward, Dalit, and minority (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) coalition ahead of the 2027 state assembly elections.

Ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has set an ambitious target of increasing the party's tally by 27,000 votes in every assembly constituency.

At the SP's state executive meeting last week, Yadav outlined his party's strategy, criticised the state's handling of law and order, and expressed gratitude to the Muslim community while taking political swipes at senior BJP and alliance leaders.

"We have decided that in the 2027 assembly elections, we will work to increase 27,000 votes in every assembly seat. That means we will reduce 27,000 votes of the BJP," Yadav declared, setting the electoral tone for his party's cadre. (ANI)