NEW DELHI, Aug 15: Indian Opposition parties had served a notice of no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s government, but the vote, due to be held next week, is expected to draw electoral battlelines with the government, not topple it, politicians said on Friday.

They said Congress party president and leader of the opposition served the notice against the government on Thursday. The two-day debate on Monday and Tuesday will be telecast live.

The Congress and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party have already issued three-line whips to their members asking them to be present throughout August 18 and 19 and vote according to the directions given by their chief whips.

Analysts said that over the next three days hectic political activity is expected on both sides of the political divide.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was quoted as saying she was surprised by the opposition move. But she said: “We are hundred per cent confident of defeating the motion.”

Opposition parties admitted that their strategy did not hope to, or even aim at, defeating the government but was meant to expose its alleged wrongdoings.

Congress spokesperson S. Jaipal Reddy said that Ms Gandhi had sent a notice of no-confidence in the Government to the Speaker.

He said that the government’s “unrelenting attitude” over the controversy related to a parliamentary probe into a defence scandal had led to the move.

Taking the Opposition-sponsored no-confidence motion as a challenge, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani said on Friday it would be an opportunity for the government to project its achievements.

“I am happy that the opposition has not only challenged us but also provided us with an opportunity to project our achievements during the past four years,” Mr Advani told reporters.

Four key state elections are due later this year and general elections, not due until September, are widely expected to be held in February.