The government and the opposition are geared up for a fight over the mode of discussion on price rise.

Though the government has agreed to suspend discussion of the president's address to the joint session of parliament to take up the price rise, the fight is over how this discussion would be carried out. The opposition is adament that it has to be through an adjournment motion entailing a voting at the end of it.

The government is reluctant to accept either condition. It wants a debate but not under the adjournment motion and no voting. These conditionalities, the government says, amount to moving a no-confidence motion.

It was because of this difference, a time table for the debate could not be worked out on Monday. A substantial part of today is likely to be wasted merely fighting over the mode of debate, shifting the focus from the actual debate and its outcome.