Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday exuded confidence that an agreement with the Shiv Sena would soon be reached, even as he said that his party has neither accepted nor denied the "unilateral" support extended by the Nationalist Congress Party.
Facing flak for receiving NCP's support during the confidence motion, Fadnavis said he was never criticised so much in his 22-years of political life as much as he was during the first three days after the vote.
"Shiv Sena has always been a friend and in future, I think and I hope, we will be friends," he said at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in New Delhi.
The Maharashtra chief minister, however, refused to divulge information on the ongoing talks between the two erstwhile allies, and said the dialogue was moving in the "right direction".
Fadnavis' remark came two days after Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy, who was BJP's Maharashtra in-charge, hoped that "something good" will emerge out of the talks between the two parties.
He also denied that RSS is mediating between the two parties.
"RSS never mediates. It does not get into politics. It is a powerhouse from where we derive the power of nationalism. Both the parties have known and worked together for the past 25 years. We can talk to each other," Fadnavis said.
The Maharashtra chief minister, who enjoys RSS's support and often meets Sangh leaders, said, "When we talk to them, we talk about the nation."
Fadnavis said NCP had unilaterally declared its support (to the government), and his party neither denied nor accepted the support.
"The NCP unilaterally offered us support. But yes, we neither denied nor accepted the support," he said, adding, that "some things had to be done".
Fadnavis said he had "never faced so much criticism in his 22 years of political life" as much as he faced in the "three days after facing no confidence motion."
Taking a dig at AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, the Maharashtra chief minister said he did not want to be like the former Delhi chief minister and run away from his responsibilities.
"I had an option of becoming Arvind Kejriwal and run away from the responsibility. But judge me by my actions," Fadnavis said.
