Shimla, June 13 -- Union health minister JP Nadda on Friday expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would return to power in Himachal Pradesh in the 2027 assembly polls, citing the party's recent performance in the panchayati raj polls. Addressing the Intellectuals' Conference organised in Shimla under the BJP's campaign "12 Years of Trust, Development and Public Welfare,", Nadda congratulated the party leaders and workers, claiming that the BJP-backed candidates secured victories in a majority of local bodies. "You have decided the road of 2027. The mandate is clear: "tumhare (Congress) jane ki bari ahi of humare (BJP) aane ki bari hai (It's time for you to leave and us to come)," the former BJP national president said. His remarks come even as chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and the Congress have maintained that the panchayati raj elections were not fought on party symbols and cannot be interpreted as a verdict in favour of any political party. BJP's state president Rajeev Bindal said that the results have demonstrated a clear shift in public mood, while Leader of Opposition and former CM Jai Ram Thakur said, "Party workers worked tirelessly at the grassroots level and ensured victory wherever BJP-backed candidates contested." Highlighting the Centre's achievements over the past 12 years, Nadda said under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Himachal Pradesh has witnessed significant transformations in the sectors of health, roads, and infrastructure. He cited AIIMS, Bilaspur, new medical colleges, and national highway projects and welfare schemes, including Jal Jeevan Mission, Ujjwala Yojana, and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, as key initiatives that improved people's standard of living and contributed to the state's development. Meanwhile, state Congress president Vinay Kumar criticised the 12-year tenure of PM Modi, alleging that inflation and unemployment have risen. "Promised gas cylinders to the people of the country for Rs.450, but today they are available for Rs.1,100. The rising prices of petrol and diesel have left people reeling under inflation. Had Modi fulfilled this promise of providing jobs, youth would not be struggling to find employment today," he said....