Countering the BJP’s slogan of a “double engine government,” the Samajwadi Party (SP) has launched a new campaign with the tagline “strong engine government.”

A hoarding featuring SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on a train engine has been installed outside the party's office in Lucknow. The billboard reads, “One engine, strong engine,” with train coaches named after various welfare schemes launched during the SP government.

The hoarding was put up by Jairam Pandey, the SP candidate from the Menhdawal constituency in Sant Kabir Nagar, who is known for his creative posters on the party chief's birthdays over the past nine years.

Interestingly, this year’s display also features birthday wishes for Akhilesh Yadav written in Sanskrit, even though his official birth date, according to documents, is July 1, 1973.

The Sanskrit verse on the hoarding reads: “Adrohaḥ sarvabhūteshu karmana manasa gira, anugrahaṁ cha damaṁ cha, sīlametad vidurbudhāḥ.” (Meaning: A person who is free from hatred towards all human beings, generous, and humble in actions, thoughts, and words is considered wise.)

The hoarding also carries festive greetings for Dhanteras, Diwali, Govardhan Puja, and Bhai Dooj, along with the slogan: “The winds of prosperity will blow again when the powerful engine of power comes to power in 2027.”

It highlights the SP’s new PDA formula: P for progressive, D for visionary, and A for peace-loving. The train coaches display key SP initiatives such as the Samajwadi Pension Scheme, Kanya Vidyadhan, Lucknow-Agra Expressway, Laptop Scheme, Lucknow Metro, Dial 100, and other infrastructure projects.

Last year, Pandey’s birthday hoardings carried the slogan “27s in power,” hinting at the party’s goal to return to power in 2027.

Political analysts view the “Strong Engine Government” campaign as part of SP’s aggressive strategy to take on the BJP in the next 2027 polls.