The Democratic party has retained the majority control of the US Senate giving a major boost to President Joe Biden.
The result, the best midterm performance for a sitting party in 20 years, means the Democrats will now have 50 seats in the 100-member Senate - with the Republicans currently on 49.
The United States Senate has 100 seats and in the existing Congress, both the Democrats and the Republicans had 50 members each with Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democratic, casting her vote in case of a tie, in her capacity as its chairperson.
In Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a beaming Biden said of the election results: “I feel good. I'm looking forward to the next couple of years.”
"I’m not surprised by the turnout. I’m incredibly pleased by the turnout. And I think it’s a reflection of the quality of our candidates. And the — they’re all running on the same programme," Biden said.
Before the elections, political pundits and pollsters predicted a “red wave” which was not to be seen anywhere during the November 8 midterm polls.
Four days after the elections, the opposition Republican Party is struggling to gain the majority in the House of Representatives, which as per the pollsters, looked like a wave for them.
This better-than-expected performance by the Democrats is attributed to the people-friendly policies of President Biden and the tilt of the youth towards him.
Republicans say they are confident they will secure majority in the House even as they voice dismay that the size of their numbers over Democrats is likely to be far smaller than pre-election predictions that forecast a "red wave" of Republican winners filling the House chamber in January, when the new Congress is sworn in.
The victory is a major boost to President Biden in the second half of his term, both for his legislative agenda and his ability to appoint top judges and other key officials.
The New York Times described the Saturday results as “a decisive moment in an extraordinary midterm election in which Democrats defied historical patterns and predictions of major losses.”
Control of the House has still not been decided, several days after an Election Day that fell short of predictions that Republicans would sweep to power in Washington in a repudiation of President Biden’s leadership, the daily reported.
The Washington Post described it as welcome news for Biden, who it said was staring down the possibility of humbling defeats as the election neared.
“Now, the Senate, which oversees the confirmation of executive branch personnel and federal judges, will stay in his party’s corner.
A Senate majority will also give the president and his party more say over legislative debates on domestic and foreign spending and other major issues,” the daily reported.
According to Republican Sampat Shivangi, national president of the Indian American Forum for Political Education, the elections brought surprising and unexpected results.
“It was assumed that Republicans will have a heyday and win easily both the House, and Senate and President Trump will ride the wave and announce his candidacy for Presidency in 2024,” he noted.
However, the performance of the Republican Party has been far below expectations.