US midterm polls: Democrats take control of Congress from Trump’s Republican party

The Democrats took control of the United States Senate and the House of Representatives from the Republicans as votes in the mid-term elections were being counted.

The polling was held on Tuesday.

Before the polls, President Donald Trump-led Republican party had a 53:47 majority in the 100-member Senate. It had a slim 219:214 majority in the 435-member Lower House of the Congress.

As of 1.30 pm Indian time on Wednesday, the Democrats held 54 seats and the Republicans had 43 in the Senate, AP reported.

This included the seats the parties already held. Elections were held for 35 of the 100 seats.

Five seats were yet to be called.

The Democrats had won 225 seats and the Republicans 136 in the Lower House, according to data from AP. The remaining 74 seats had not been called. A party needs 218 seats for a majority.

Several US news networks were projecting that the Democrats would secure at least 244 seats in the House.

The elections are being viewed as a verdict on Trump’s second term as president. Trump and the Republican party’s approval ratings have been hurt by the rising cost of living, the economic turmoil triggered by his tariffs and the US-Israel war on Iran, which has driven up global oil prices.

Historically, the party of the sitting president loses...

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