Upping the ante ahead of polling, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said NCP chief Sharad Pawar is a wise man who is ahead of time in understanding which way the wind blows.

Addressing a rally in Madha, he said, "Sharad Rao (Pawar) is quite a big player. He understands which way winds are blowing well before time. He will never do anything which would affect him or his family (Sharad Rao bhi bade khiladi hain, wo samay se pehle hawa ka rukh samajh jaate hain. Aur wo kabhi aisa kuch nahi karte jiske kaaran unko aur unke parivar ko kharonch aa jaaye, baaki koi bhi bali chadh jaaye to chadh jaaye)."