Parrikar coming on June 15, says BJP MLA; party unsure

Panaji, June 12 (IANS) The mystery behind ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's return to the state got further deepened after a BJP MLA said on Tuesday that he will arrive on June 15 even as a senior party leader said the Chief Minister was likely to return by June-end.

"Parrikar is returning to Goa on June 15," MLA Nilesh Cabral told the media in Panaji.

A senior Bharatiya Janata Party functionary, however, told IANS that while Parrikar was likely to return to Goa sometime later this month, the exact date of his arrival was still not certain.

"As a party we do not know his exact date of arrival. Parrikarji is likely to come to Goa in June, but the tickets as far as we know haven't been booked yet," the official said, requesting anonymity.

Parrikar is undergoing treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer in a New York hospital. 

The 62-year-old former Defence Minister was hospitalised on three occasions in Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital and the Goa Medical College since mid February. He was shifted to the US in March this year for specialised treatment.