India, June 18 -- The bizarre paradox of Maharashtra's turbulent coalition politics has been made evident, as the Shiv Sena (UBT) faces its worst-ever existential crisis on the eve of the Bal Thackeray-envisioned Shiv Sena's 60th anniversary - a party that dominated Mumbai's politics for four consecutive decades, said political observers.

Amid speculations that six of his MPs were set to cross over to the rival Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, a shell-shocked Uddhav Thackeray remarked with intense aversion on Monday that he was ready to plough a lone furrow. "Whoever wants to leave the party can quit," he remarked.

However, by Wednesday a calm Thackeray was ready to work on his next strategy. Interestingly, the defection exercise is named '...