The no-confidence motion moved by the Opposition is likely to be debated in the Lok Sabha next week before the conclusion of the monsoon session of Parliament contrary to the INDIA alliance’s demand that it be taken up immediately.

The Opposition INDIA boycotted a meeting of the Lok Sabha’s business advisory committee where a decision to take up the no-confidence motion on August 8 was taken, according to sources. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to reply to the motion on the last day of the session on August 11.

The Opposition accused the government of pushing its legislative agenda and keeping the motion for the last few days of the session.

The government has defended the delay, insisting that there are no rules or precedents that make it mandatory for the House to take up the no-confidence motion immediately. Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said the rule has it that the motion should be taken up for discussion within 10 working days of being admitted.

Though the no-confidence motion has been pressed by the Opposition to compel Modi to speak in the House over the Manipur situation, the debate is likely to set the template for the Lok Sabha polls next year. The debate, which is expected to stretch over three days, will lay down the issues on which the Opposition proposes to take on the ruling BJP and clear the positions of different parties.

An indication of this came when the Biju Janata Dal of Odisha, not a member of the BJP-led NDA, came out to side with the government by declaring that it would oppose the no-confidence motion. The BJD issued a whip on Tuesday asking its members in Parliament to oppose the no-confidence motion and support the Delhi bill. The ruling YSR Congress Party of Andhra Pradesh, which is also outside the NDA, is likely to toe the BJD line.

A former four-term BJD MP, Tathagata Satpathy, posted a sarcastic tweet on the regional party’s move to join hands with the BJP. “Congress in Orissa is no more an expensive commodity. BJD-BJP will henceforth surely work openly together and we shall have the glorious Kalinga returned to us. It will be honey and sugar all the way till another Regional party is born,” he tweeted.