BATHINDA: The ruling Congress won a majority of seats in the zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections in the Malwa region on Saturday.However, at many places, the victory margin was as narrow as three votes, suggesting that SAD nominees gave a fight to the winners.Congress won almost all zones in panchayat samiti in Bathinda, Muktsar, Faridkot, Moga, Mansa and Barnala districts. In Bathinda, several Congress candidates won by less than 100 votes, with one candidate at Burj Gill zone scraping past only by three votes. In the Behman Kaur Singh panchayat samiti zone, Congress candidate Karamjit Kaur won by getting just 25 votes more than Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) nominee Gulab Kaur.In the Bugra panchayat samiti zone, Congress candidate Mandeep Kaur defeated Harpal Kaur of SAD by 62 votes. At Mehma, Mandar Singh of the Congress won by 47 votes. Her nearest rival was SAD's Harjinder Kaur.In the Dhan Singh Khana panchayat samiti zone, Saranjit Kaur of the Congress get 60 votes more than the runner-up, Manjinder Kaur of SAD. In Multania, Congress candidate Gurdev Kaur beat Manjit Kaur of SAD by 73 votes.In Bhagu, Congress nominee Karamjit Kaur won by 20 votes, defeating SAD's Paramjit Kaur. In Burj Gill panchayat samiti zone, Congress's Gurtej Singh won by only three votes. Pali Singh of SAD was his nearest rival. In Talaab panchayat samiti zone, Congress candidate Harbinder Singh won by 57 votes as he scrapped past Gurdit Singh of SAD.In Thandewala panchayat samiti zone in Muktsar, Congress candidate Sukhdev Singh won by only six votes. Gurmeet Singh of SAD came in second. The vote tally was similar in some panchayat samiti zones in Barnala and Faridkot.The Akali Dal said it was encouraged by the results, in spite of the loss. "The victory margins are low when compared to the assembly elections, despite all odds being put against the SAD. Had these elections been free and fair, we would have won. We feel encouraged and will bounce back in the parliamentary elections in 2019," SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said.Punjab power minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar said it might be few zones where Congress candidates won by narrow margins, but the party was triumphant on the whole. "We will carry out a review after the entire result is declared," he said.

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