As the Left-UPA tussle over the 123 agreement continues, the dates on which the much-awaited Parliament debate on the issue would take place remains undecided. Political sources hinted that Congress was not averse to buying time to achieve some meeting ground with the Left before the debate happens.

In fact, Congress sources said that the party would be only too happy to have all the time at its disposal to hold informal negotiations with the Left.

Though the dates for the debate were not formally announced, they were originally scheduled to be held on August 14 and 16, just after the Prime Minister’s August 13 statement on the India-US civil nuclear deal. After the Left upped its ante, it was postponed to August 20 and 21, and then to August 23 and 24.

Now, with the Left again making it clear that it was sticking to its stand against the government, the government is only too happy that the earliest the debate could take place is on August 27 and 29, the day in between a Parliamentary holiday because of Raksha Bandhan.

However, it seems that the debate might not start on August 27 too, as there is a demand from a cross section of the MPs to get the day as a holiday too as it would mean four straight holidays for them, starting with August 25 which is a Saturday.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister P R Dasmunsi, while confirming the demand, said that the date for the debate as well as for a holiday on August 27 would be decided by the Business Advisory Committees of both the houses.

However, indications were there that the debate could take place on August 29 and 30.

The Congress obviously would be happy to have all the time at its disposal to work on a cross section of Left leaders, particularly with ample signals that there are divisions within the Left.