Bengaluru, Nov 24 (IANS): Relatively unknown RSS worker K. Narayan, who was the BJP's nominee for the Rajya Sabha bypoll in Karnataka, was on Monday declared elected unanimously.

Karnataka Assembly Secretary, Vishalakshi declared him elected unopposed as both Congress and Janata Dal-S did not field candidates.

When Narayan's name was cleared by the BJP's central leaders last week for the Rajya Sabha seat, it was a surprise for many in the ruling party as he was unknown to many until then.

The seat fell vacant after sitting BJP member Ashok Gasti succumbed to Covid-19 in September. Gasti too was elected unopposed in June this year.

Narayan, the owner of a printing press in Mangaluru, had been a close and dedicated follower of the RSS and he used print materials like pamphlets for RSS and its affiliated wings free of cost.

He is also editor of the "Tuluvere Kedige", a Tulu magazine, a language extensively spoken in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts in Karnataka.

Meanwhile, BJP's newly elected MLAs - N. Munirathna of Rajrajeshwari Nagar and Rajesh Gowda of Sira in Tumkuru - formally took their oath as MLAs. Both had won in the recent bypolls.