Recently formed TIPRA, led by the former state Congress president Pradyot Kishore Deb Barman, swept the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections on Saturday by winning 18 of the 28 seats that went to the polls, official sources said. They said that the Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA) won 18 seats, the BJP secured nine seats and one seat was won by an Independent candidate. In the 30-member tribal council, elections were held in 28 seats on Tuesday. Representatives in the remaining two seats will be nominated by the governor on the advice of the state government. Deb Barman requested his supporters to maintain peace as celebrations broke out with the newly-formed party getting an absolute majority in the elections. He said that "We have to maintain unity. I appeal to the people to refrain from attacking the party office and houses of the supporters of IPFT, BJP, CPI(M), and Congress. They too are our people and we do not want to fight among ourselves. If we want unity then we have to maintain peace. They too will join our party after the elections.” Furthermore, Deb Barman announced that a victory rally would be organized on Monday at the tribal council headquarters in Khumulwung, about 25 km from Agartala. But advised his supporters that "Do not fight among yourself, this has continued for 70 years and let the whole India see how Tipraha maintains unity even after winning the election.” CPI(M) leader Radhacharan Debbarma said it was the victory of the people. "We accept that we lost this election. Why we have lost the election will be discussed and reviewed later by the party. But at present, we can say that it is the victory of the people," he told. Samir Ranjan Barman, Former chief minister congratulated Deb Barman and his party for the landslide victory. "This is the beginning of the end of the BJP rule in Tripura," the veteran Congressman commented.