In an embarrassment for the Congress ahead of party leader Rahul Gandhi's arrival to participate in the "Jan Akrosh Yatras" launched by the Madhya Pradesh unit and addressing his first public rally in the poll-bound state, party MLA Kalpana Verma has lodged a FIR against a local party leader accusing him of attempted sexual harassment.

Verma, the first-time MLA from Raigaon (SC) seat of Vindhya region’s Satna district, said: "I was going to condole the death of a deputy village sarpanch’s mother, when (local leader) Manoj Bagri attempted to bump me and hold my hand. Along with aides, he attempted similar behaviour with one of my female aides also."