Ashwini Deshmukh, widow of the murdered sarpanch, had contested the election amid expectations of a sympathy wave. However, the electorate opted for Swarupanand Deshmukh, overturning the outcome of the previous election

The announcement was made by party working president Praful Patel during a high-level national executive meeting on Thursday; Parth Pawar is expected to secure a six-year term in the Upper House