Although some political leaders in Gujarat claimed that the Centre has cleared a proposal to set up AIIMS in Rajkot city, an official release by the central government did not mention name of any city in the state that will get this facility.

Senior BJP leaders, including the party's state unit chief Jitu Vaghani and Energy Minister Saurabh Patel congratulated people of Rajkot saying the Centre has given a clearance to establish All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the city. "In Ahmedabad, the state government has provided various medical facilities. In Surat also world-class medical facilities are available. In such circumstances it is good that an institute like AIIMS is being established in Rajkot," Vaghani told reporters in Jasdan in Rajkot district.

Talking to reporters in Gandhinagar, Saurabh Patel said, "I would like to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving AIIMS to Rajkot."  However, a Press Information Bureau (PIB) release issued on December 17 said establishment of AIIMS at Tamil Nadu and Telangana have been approved by the Union cabinet chaired by the prime minister.

Meanwhile, leaders from Rajkot and Vadodara regions are gunning for the premier medical facility to be set up in their respective regions. Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel had earlier warned the leaders from both the regions that if they continued to fight, the state might lose establishment of such a premier medical facility.

"The chief minister of the state is from Saurashtra and the party president is also from that region. Therefore, they are flexing their political muscles and trying to bring AIIMS in their area. Actually Vadodara is the right place for this facility," BJP MLA Yogesh Patel, representing Manjalpur constituency in Vadodara district said.

City Congress chief Narendra Rawat said, "Vadodara is the right place to establish AIIMS as it will serve the population of entire state from here." Congress leader from Rajkot Hemang Vasavda, however, said that AIIMS should come up in Rajkot as the entire Saurashtra region lacks this kind of medical facility.

State Congress president Amit Chavda, who hails from central Gujarat said both- Vadodara and Rajkot- should get one AIIMS each. "As the PM is from Gujarat, we want to know why is he not giving AIIMS to both Rajkot and Vadodara. We will welcome his decision, if he does so," Chavda said.