"Rajkot will always have a very special place in my heart...": PM Modi reminisces about his political beginnings

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his deep connection with Rajkot on Saturday, calling it the city that holds a "very special place" in his heart. This sentiment comes ahead of his visit to Gujarat, where he will inaugurate various projects, including the dedication of five AIIMS institutions from Rajkot.

"It was the people of this city who put their faith in me, giving me my first ever electoral win," said PM Modi, reminiscing about his political beginnings in Rajkot.

He emphasised his commitment to serving the people, stating, "Since then, I have always worked to do justice to the aspirations of the Janta Janardan."



PM Modi will inaugurate Gujarat's first All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rajkot on February 25, state Health Minister Rushikesh Patel said on Friday. This will be one of the five AIIMS to be dedicated to the nation by the prime minister from Rajkot on February 25, the minister said.

During his visit to the state, the PM will also inaugurate the four-lane cable-stayed bridge between Okha and Beyt Dwarka in Devbhumi Dwarka district apart from holding a road show in Jamnagar.

Speaking to reporters in Gandhinagar, minister Patel said the out-patient department (OPD) of the super-speciality hospital near Para Pipaliya village on the outskirts of Rajkot city was already operational.

The PM, who laid the foundation stone of the mega facility through video conferencing in December 2020, will inaugurate the in-patient department (IPD), Patel said.

"Spread across 201 acres, Rajkot AIIMS is a world-class hospital with 720 beds, including ICU and super-speciality beds. On February 25, the prime minister will inaugurate 23 operation theatres, 30-bed AYUSH block and 250 beds of IPD. The remaining beds will be made available gradually," Patel said.

The hospital was built at the cost of Rs 1,195 crore, he said, adding the OPD has already served nearly 1.44 lakh patients so far.

As per a government release, the prime minister will arrive at Rajkot AIIMS on Sunday afternoon and address a rally at the RaceCourse ground in the city later in the evening.

He will take part in a kilometre-long road show from the old airport to the venue of the public rally, it stated.

During the function, the prime minister will also virtually inaugurate four other newly-built AIIMS, located in Mangalagiri (Andhra Pradesh), Bathinda (Punjab), Rae Bareli (Uttar Pradesh), and Kalyani (West Bengal), Patel said.