Andhra Pradesh State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar on Wednesday urged the Centre to provide him protection as he and his family members face threat for his move to postpone local body elections.

On a day when the Supreme Court upheld his decision to postpone the polls in view of outbreak of coronavirus, the IAS official sent a letter to Union Home Secretary, seeking central security.

Kumar, who faced the wrath of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and his cabinet minister, wrote that there were real apprehensions of attacks on him and family members.

"Looking at the intolerant face of the top leadership of the present dispensation and their faction-ridden background and known vindictive nature, I have come to the painful conclusion that my safety and my family's safety is in great peril," he said.

Kumar urged the Home Ministry to provide a security cover through appropriate central police force. "This would be necessary for extended duration this Government which is inimically disposed to me is in power and at the helm of the State with the vast of reach of resources and criminal gangs ready to their bidding. Their antecedents bear testimony to reach this conclusion painful as it is."

The SEC wrote that though it suits him to reside in Hyderabad, which is relatively safe but added that it is not completely safe as "the adversaries have a long reach".

Kumar on Sunday announced postponement of elections to rural and urban local bodies by six weeks as a precautionary measure in view of the threat posed by coronavirus. The elections were scheduled next week.

Furious over SEC's action, the Chief Minister complained to the governor and later addressed a news conference to slam the official. He alleged that the SEC acted at the behest of Leader of Opposition and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, who was unable to digest the fact that YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) was set to sweep the polls.

Kumar, who also met the Governor and submitted his clarification, wrote to Union Home Ministry that the first stage of poll schedule witnessed unprecedented violence and intimidation by the ruling party with the active connivance of police personnel as alleged by all the opposition parties. He said there was also an unprecedented spike in unanimous election of candidates of the ruling party in rural local bodies.