US mid-term polls: The big picture

New York:  Less than two years after Barack Obama strode into the White House on a promise of change, the Republicans have wrested control of the House of Representatives from his Democrats on Tuesday, riding a wave of voter discontent. The Democrats have retained control of the Senate, but by a slimmer margin.

This is the big picture at a glance:

How it stacks up:

House of Representatives: Republicans need 39 seats to gain majority. Are projected to win 59 at this time. Senate: Republicans need 10 more seats to gain majority. Are projected to win 6 more at this time.

What the new power equations mean:

The Democrats lose majority in the US House. The Republicans can now block Obama's key policy agendas.

Democrats retain majority in the Senate, but by a slimmer margin. A divided Congress will scuttle Obama's plans for re-election in 2012.

Highlights:
•    More than 60 seats are likely to change hands in the House of Representatives; this will be the biggest swing since 1948.
•    Obama's own former Senate seat, Illinois, has gone to Republican Mark Kirk.
•    Big losses in Ohio and Pennsylvania, where Obama personally made a dozen trips to campaign.
•    Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to be out; Republican John A Boehner likely to get the Speaker's seat
•    Tea Party's main campaigner Sharron Angle has lost
•    Nikki Haley wins South Carolina, becomes the second American of Indian origin to become Governor after Bobby Jindal.

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/us-mid-term-polls-the-big-picture-64210?cp