"In my entire political career spanning nearly 50 years, I have learnt that the more a balloon is inflated, the sooner it bursts," Pawar said on the growing clamour within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for Modi to take a commanding position for the next Lok Sabha elections.

On Modi's projection as the prime ministerial candidate of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Pawar said: "People who are projected for the coveted post (of prime minister) hardly reach there."