Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday, October 20, flagged off the party's PDA campaign vehicles from the SP headquarters in Lucknow, formally opening the party's ground campaign for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, IANS reported. PDA is the party's coalition formula standing for Pichhda (backward classes), Dalit and Alpsankhyak (minorities). Nation Press reported the same day that Yadav also launched a new phase of the Samajwadi PDA Yatra, posting on X that the new phase sets out carrying a vow of PDA victory.

Flagging off the vehicles after a ceremonial coconut-breaking ritual, Yadav accused the ruling BJP of undermining social justice, people's rights and democratic institutions — the SP's allegation, which the BJP has not answered in these reports. 'Today, we should resolve to eradicate evil from this land forever. The initiative should begin in Uttar Pradesh,' he said on Dussehra, adding that Ram Rajya and socialism were complementary ideals. He also alleged that the BJP had circulated an AI-generated video depicting him as Ravana — again, his allegation as reported.

Yadav announced that the SP will release its manifesto, titled the 'Jan-Man Manifesto', on November 26, Constitution Day, ANI reported. Calling the accuracy of electoral rolls a priority, he asked party workers to verify entries and remain vigilant through the revision process and until nominations, and questioned the Election Commission's handling of alleged duplicate voter entries. He also demanded the release of Cockroach Janta Party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, claiming they had been unnecessarily detained.

From the ruling side, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has in recent days attacked the SP's record, saying at a teachers' and graduates' conference in Lucknow that 'the SP and education are like the two banks of a river that can never meet' and alleging that recruitment was undermined under the previous SP government — the BJP's counter-allegation, as reported by ANI. Uttar Pradesh votes in 2027, and the PDA rath campaign is the SP's first statewide vehicle mobilisation of this election cycle.