Bathinda/Ferozepur, Dec. 18 -- Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Congress are giving tough challenge to ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as the counting for in the zila parishad and block samitis polls in the Malwa region. In Bathinda, the traditional bastion of the Akalis, SAD won nine of the 17 zones for the zila parishad polls and was leading in five. AAP was declared winner from three zones. The district has six assembly segments, and the AAP represents all. In Mansa the AAP was leading in seven of the 11 ZP zones while the SAD was leading in the remaining four seats. As per the last information shared by the district authorities, out of 13 zones of Muktsar ZP, SAD was leading in eight and AAP candidates were leading in three seats. Electoral results trend from Moga, having 15 ZP zones, show that the Congress and AAP won one ZP zone each. The AAP was leading in nine zones while the SAD candidates from four other zones were marching ahead. Information from Faridkot states that the SAD was leading in three zones while the Congress candidates were ahead in three seats. The AAP was leading in two seats where the results from Sarwan and Baja Khana were still awaited. The border district of Ferozepur has 14 ZP zones, and trends of election results for only seven seats were released till 9 pm. AAP was trailing in the key district of Muktsar, which is the home district of the SAD chief Sukhbir Badal and state Congress president Warring. Two AAP cabinet ministers-Gurmit Singh Khudian and Dr Baljit Kaur- also hail from this district. As per the last information shared by the district authorities in the evening, out of 13 zones of Muktsar ZP, SAD was leading in 8. AAP candidates were leading in three seats. In Ferozepur, out of the seven of the 14 zila parishads seats for which results were declared, two were wrested by SAD and independents backed by it. Congress won one, with AAP winning four. The Bazidpur seat, considered the most high-stakes contest of the elections, was won by independent candidate Mandeep Kaur, wife of former gangster-turned-politician Gurpreet Singh Sekhon. She defeated the AAP woman candidate by a margin of 2,645 votes. Another major upset was recorded in the Ferozeshah zone, where independent candidate Kuljeet Kaur, Sekhon's second wife, defeated the AAP candidate by a massive margin of 8,760 votes. The district recorded an overall voter turnout of 56.55%. Meanwhile, elections were also held for 112 zones of various block committees in the district, covering 788 gram panchayats. These include 16 zones in Ferozepur block, 23 in Ghall Khurd, 22 in Mamdot, 19 in Zira, 15 in Makhu and 17 in Guruharsahai, but final results were awaited till the filing of the report....