VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) on Sunday postponed local and civic body elections in the state for six weeks citing the novel coronavirus scare, triggering a protest from chief minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy who termed the decision “unilateral” and “irrational”. Jagan wants the elections to be held as per schedule, claiming that the ruling YSRCP has already won 2000 of the total 9600 posts unanimously.He said his government would challenge the decision in Supreme Court.Jagan, who called on governor Harichandan Biswabhusan to protest against the postponement, said SEC had taken such an important decision without consulting either the chief secretary or the health secretary. “The notification, issued in utter secrecy and without any consultation with concerned and competent officials, is contradictory in nature as elections were postponed and in the same breath high officials from Guntur and Chittoor districts were transferred and collectors were asked not to take up the house site patta distribution work. It seems that SEC is working at the behest of others and is reading out the script prepared by others,” Jagan said.Later in the evening, SEC issued a statement clarifying that it had acted against certain government functionaries “as per the dictum of SC”.Earlier, state election commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar told mediapersons : “As coronavirus is spreading across the nation, we have decided on postponing all local body polls. The government of India had issued a health advisory to the state to avoid public gatherings. ”