A few kilometres away in Mumbai's western suburbs, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde was holding a separate rally in Goregaon to mark the Shiv Sena's 60th foundation day. "Those who forget saffron (Hindutva) will never attain power. You hurt Balasaheb Thackeray when he was alive and even after his death by aligning with Congress, which he always hated. Congress had broken the party, and now you are praising them while attacking us," Shinde said.

Uddhav Thackeray's faction faces uncertainty as MPs plan to meet Eknath Shinde in Delhi, raising fears of a defection similar to the Trinamool Congress split in West Bengal.

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…