Lucknow, Jul 12 (IANS): In a change of strategy, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) is now reaching out to Dalits in a big way in Uttar Pradesh.

RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary has asked his party's MLAs in Uttar Pradesh to ensure that more than 35 per cent of the total spending under 'vidhayak nidhi' (MLA Local Area Development Fund (MLALAD) should be spent for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes (SCs).

The RLD has eight MLAs in the UP Vidhan Sabha, and each MLA or MLC in the state gets an amount of Rs 5 crore every year to spend on development works in his or her constituency.

RLD national spokesman Anil Dubey said that Jayant had written a letter to his MLAs and legislature party leader Rajpal Baliyan, emphasising the need to spend more than 35 per cent of their 'vidhayak nidhi' on the works connected to the welfare of the SCs.

"The RLD chief has also asked Baliyan to direct MLAs to keep a keen watch on the atrocities against the SCs and the Backward Castes and raise their issues in the Vidhan Sabha from time to time," Dubey said.

This is the first time that the RLD is aiming at a vote bank beyond its core Jat vote base.