Lucknow: In order to replicatetheunprecedented success of 2024 elections, Samajwadi Party is set to repeat the Lok Sabha election theme of ‘Samajwadi PDA Yatra’ for the 2027 UP assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. The party’s Rath – the bus that SP chief Akhilesh Yadav uses to travel to constituencies during his campaign – in an ‘all new look’ has reached Lucknow.The rath has been brought for the final approval of the SP chief and may undergo some changes if required.It’s the same bus that Akhilesh first used for party’s election campaign in 2017 Assembly polls and thereafter used it in every election, with different slogans and taglines on it. In the 2017 election, the bus was titled Samajwadi Vikas Rath’, in 2022 it carried ‘Samajwadi Vijay Yatra’ slogan and in 2024 it carried the slogan Samajwadi PDA Yatra and the same will be retained for 2027 polls.SP insiders said at present there are no plans of party president embarking on a statewide rath yatra ‘per se’ during the elections and the Samajwadi PDA Yatra rath will be widely used for roadshows while travelling from one assembly constituency to another in the same district to address public meetings.In 2024 LS polls, Akhilesh had embarked on the Samajwadi PDA Yatra with focus on social justice and caste census. The slogan ‘Save Constitution’ also figured prominently not only in the publicity material of the party’s campaign but figured prominently on the custom bus that Akhilesh used to travel for roadshows. SP bagged 37 seats – its best tally in LS polls. The party plans to replicate the win in 2027 polls and as starters, retained the ‘Samajwadi PDA Yatra’ for the campaign slated to take off soon.Though a time-table for the campaign rallies is yet to be chalked out, sources said the party leadership is likely to start campaigning full throttle from Nov. Before that the SP chief is expected to address a series of ‘Karyakarta Sammelans’ (cadre conferences) and public meetings organised by party’s frontal organisations and various prakoshts (cells) like Samajwadi Adhivakta Sabha (lawyers), Samajwadi Shikshak Sabha (teachers), Samajwadi Vyapar Sabha (traders), Ambedkar Vahini, Pirchrda Varg Prakosht and likes.Recently the bus that SP chief was to use for campaign was spotted near SP headquarters in a brand new coat of red and ‘Samajwadi PDA Yatra’ written on the sides. Its one side has a photograph of SP chief with the slogan ‘samajik nyay ka parcham lehrayega, PDA hi parivartan layega’ (social justice will prevail, PDA will bring about the change).The bus also has pichhda (backward), Dalit, alpsankhyak (minority) written under “Samajwadi PDA Yatra”. The bus also displays pictures of leaders such as Bhimrao Ambedkar, Janeshwar Mishra, Ram Manohar Lohia, and Beni Prasad Verma. The bus is fitted with an elevator chamber that can lift two persons at a time to the roof plaftorm and is fitted with a public address system and flood lights to address gatherings after sunset. Inside, the bus is fitted with all basic amneties.
