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US President Donald Trump has said he will accept the results of the US midterm elections. His Republican Party, however, suffered a major setback, with Democrats gaining control of both chambers of Congress.
But what even are midterm elections: think of the US Congress as India's Parliament. It has two houses: the House of Representatives (like the Lok Sabha) and the Senate (like the Rajya Sabha). Americans vote for their members every two years. When these elections fall halfway through the president's four-year term, they're called midterms.
This time, all 435 House seats and around a third of Senate seats were up for grabs. The results reflect growing dissatisfaction with Trump's leadership. Rising living costs, higher fuel prices and his tariff policies all contributed to Republican losses.
Why should India care: the results could affect India-US trade, immigration and defence ties. Democrats may push for greater scrutiny of Trump's tariffs, which affect Indian exporters. They could also challenge his immigration measures, including the $100,000 fee on new H-1B applications.
This matters to Indian professionals working in the US. However, policy changes aren't guaranteed. Trump still has significant executive powers, especially over foreign affairs.
