Ranchi, Feb. 9: Once a rebel, BJP member Ravindra Kumar Rai “formally” joined his party yet again today after a brief sabbatical.

On its part, the BJP revoked his suspension order and promised to take suitable action to end the anti-defection case against Rai.

Back to where he “belonged”, Rai was greeted by old friends — BJP national vice-president Yashwant Sinha, state president Raghubar Das, leader of the opposition Arjun Munda and leader P.N. Singh.

“I began my political career with the BJP, but I did have some ideological differences with the party. However, this is not the time for differences as both the state and the country are at crossroads and only a united political force can lead the masses,” said Rai.

Rai represented Dhanwar in the February 2000 Assembly polls and won on a BJP ticket. In his second innings, he, however, hobnobbed with Babulal Marandi and the BJP suspended him from the party and instituted an anti-defection case against him.

The leader of Opposition, Arjun Munda, who lodged the complaint against Rai originally, said that since the House is under suspended animation, the case was merely an academic debate.