Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Monday called for a general strike across West Bengal on January 10 to protest against the state government's 'all-round failure'.
Addressing a huge rally of nearly 150,000 people in Kolkata, she said her party would support the strike that had been earlier called by a Left Front opposition group, the Progressive Democratic Front.
The PDF had called the strike to protest against the recent increase in power tariff and the 'anti-people policies' of the state government.
Cross-subsidy on power has been removed in West Bengal and all users, including commercial users, will pay tariff at a uniform rate.
The increased power tariff and the introduction of water tax will form the major electoral issue for the Trinamool in the May panchayat polls.
The January 10 strike will be the year's first strike in West Bengal, which witnessed six strikes last year called by different parties.
The opposition Socialist Unity Centre of India has called another strike on January 27.
Banerjee also announced that her party, which marked its fifth foundation day with Monday's rally, would form an alliance of parties, opposing the ruling Left Front coalition, to fight the panchayat elections. "We hope all those opposing the government will come together for the panchayat polls."
Defence Minister George Fernandes also attended the public rally in his capacity of convenor of the National Democratic Alliance, which the Trinamool supports from the outside.
