Patna: The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) meet to be held here on Saturday got mired in politics with Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Tejashwi Yadav deciding to skip the event, which would have his arch-rivals and chachas (uncles) - chief minister Nitish Kumar and deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi - on the stage.

"I have informed Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary that I cannot take part as I have another engagement. On Saturday, I will go to Piro in Bhojpur district to visit the village of slain CRPF jawan Mujahid Khan," said Tejashwi, while speaking to The Telegraph on Friday evening.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will inaugurate the event at Gyan Bhavan near Gandhi Maidan on Saturday. Representatives of 52 countries are expected to take part in the three-day programme. The official invitation card issued by the Bihar Assembly has Tejashwi as the first speaker after the main lecture is delivered by CPA general secretary Akbar Khan of London. The official invitation card puts deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi and chief minister Nitish Kumar, who would speak later but before the Lok Sabha Speaker addresses the delegates.

The programme had generated considerable interest among political circles, as it would have been the first time Tejashwi would have shared the stage with Nitish after the bitter "divorce" between the JDU and the RJD in July last year.

"However, Tejashwi's decision shows that the bitterness is so intense that he does not want to even share a non-political platform with neither of his chachas (Nitish Kumar and Sushil Kumar Modi)," said a JDU MLA.

Tejashwi had criticised Nitish and the BJP for "insulting" CRPF jawans killed in Jammu and Kashmir. "Skipping his scheduled visit to the Pro would not have been a politically correct step," said a former RJD MP. Old-timers recalled that Sushil and Lalu used to retain a cordial personal relationship despite sharp political differences. But political rivals not even sharing non-politicial event is a new phenomena in Bihar politics.

Elaborate arrangements have been made for the Saturday event, which is being considered one of the biggest shows Bihar will host after the Prakash Parv held last year.