Empowering women has always been on top of my agenda, says Punjab CM

''Empowering women is vital for the development of any society & it has always been on top of my agenda. No society can prosper without giving due respect to women. Have taken several paths breaking initiatives to empower them & I, their brother, shall always stand by their side,'' he tweeted. Channi also said that in the short time (of 111 days) which he got as the chief minister before the model code of conduct came into force with the poll announcement, he did his best for the welfare of all.

''I have always stood for equal opportunities and worked for the progress and prosperity of the state and its people. With the little time I had, I did my best for the welfare of all. With your continuous support, we will soon restore the pristine glory of the State,'' he said in another tweet.

A few days ago, the Punjab chief minister had claimed that ''it will be a one-sided sweep'' by Congress. ''We will win the election with an overwhelming majority,'' he had said, exuding confidence that the Congress will retain power with a big majority.

He had also said he received a lot of love and respect from the people of the state.

Channi had said the people are happy with the decisions taken by his government which is aimed at the welfare of various sections. He had said that during the short time which he got, he has worked hard to ensure that decisions of his government make a difference in the lives of common people. Notably, the multi-corner fight this time is between the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shiromani Akali Dal-BSP combine, BJP, which has stitched an alliance with the Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led SAD (Sanyukt), and the Punjab Lok Congress (PLC), led by Amarinder Singh, and the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha, a political front launched by various farmer bodies. Amarinder Singh floated his party PLC after he quit the Congress following his unceremonious exit as the chief minister last year. The state will vote on February 14 and the counting will take place on March 10.