New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi is likely to meet the leaders of like-minded Opposition parties on August 18 morning to finalise the strategy on the no-confidence motion against National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in the Lok Sabha.

"Gandhi is likely to meet with like-minded parties on Monday (August 18) to finalise the floor strategy," party spokesman S Jaipal Reddy told reporters after a 150-minute meeting she had with party leaders at her residence.

Stating that Gandhi, who has moved the motion, would be initiating the debate, he said the party wanted a "comprehensive" discussion on all issues including the defence matters that had rocked the proceedings of Parliament.

On the party's decision to move a no-confidence motion against the government, he said it was not (not) tabled on the basis of numbers game in the Lok Sabha but to expose the five year "misrule" of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA government.

"In democracy, no-confidence is the last weapon before Opposition parties to expose the government and its failures", he said but refused to divulge the details of the strategy merely saying it would be decided on the floor of the House.

On the boycott of Defence Minister George Fernandes who would be speaking against the motion as convenor of the NDA, he said it would be decided only on the floor of the House.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Manmohan Singh, senior party leaders Arjun Singh Shivraj Patil, Ambika Soni, Buta Singh, Ahmed Patel, Priyaranjan Dasmunsi and S Jaipal Reddy were among those who attended the meeting presided over by Gandhi.

PTI