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Decks were cleared on Thursday for the merger of the breakaway group of the Biju Janata Dal with the Congress after a meeting with its leader Sonia Gandhi in Delhi.

"Myself, Kumudini Patnaik (an MP), and six MLAs from Orissa met Gandhi and apprised her about political situation in the state. We also discussed the possibility of an alignment or merger," party leader Dilip Ray, an MP, told reporters after the nearly 20-minute meeting with Gandhi.

Ray would be leaving for Orissa on Thursday to consult colleagues and friends who support an alliance or merger with the Congress. The final shape of the alliance would be clear by the first week of February.