KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil has decided to take up the gauntlet -- she is going for the Wanita Umno chief's post.

In an immediate reaction, incumbent chief Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz declared that she would defend her post.

"It is not a question of whether or not I am accepting the challenge... there is a challenge and I will have to defend my post.

"We will meet di gelanggang (in the arena) in March," she said.

Asked if she would hand over the leadership to Shahrizat (picture) in June if she wins in the March elections, Rafidah said: "If I win, then I will have to lead the wing for another three years."

"Because Shahrizat has gone against the succession plan and decided to contest against me, I will defend my post in the March polls," she said.

Rafidah had garnered 117 nominations to contest the Wanita chief post while 73 divisions nominated Shahrizat even though she repeatedly told delegates not to do so as she was content to accept a succession plan which would see her taking over the leadership in June, three months after the Umno elections.

Rafidah has been in charge of Wanita Umno since 1984 except for one term in 1996 when she was defeated by Datuk Seri Dr Siti Zaharah Sulaiman. She retook the chief's post in 2000.

After Shahrizat's announcement, a flurry of support poured in for her.

In Kedah, 12 of the 15 Wanita Umno divisions announced they would be backing Shahrizat.

State Wanita Umno information chief Noorhashita Mad Isa said the 12 division chiefs decided to support Shahrizat as Rafidah had held the post "for too long".

In Negri Sembilan, similar support came from state Wanita Umno head Datuk Norhayati Omar.

"We would like to see a change in Umno Wanita and we will do all we can to help Shahrizat win the top post".

In Penang, state Wanita Umno chief Datuk Jahara Hamid is taking a step back from her stated position of a no-contest for the top post.

"If it could not be avoided, Shahrizat should just go ahead with it," she said.

Jahara was in an odd position as 10 of 13 Wanita divisions in the state had insisted that Rafidah should expedite the power transition to Shahrizat by March.

Pressure had been mounting on Shahrizat to go for the top post, after delegates from 73 divisions ignored her oft-stated desire to take over only when Rafidah willingly steps aside in June.

Even after she bowed to pressure from the Wanita Umno executive council at its last meeting less than two weeks ago to accept the succession plan, the groundswell of support for her to challenge Rafidah continued to gather momentum.

Six states -- Perak, Negri Sembilan, Sabah, Terengganu, Malacca and Penang -- plumped for Shahrizat, while Pahang, Selangor and Johor reaffirmed their support for the succession plan.

However, the support from within the states are not unanimous, with certain divisional heads not seeing eye to eye with their grassroot leaders.

The coming battle could cause a split within Wanita Umno as was the case in 1996.

Shahrizat was pushed to re-evaluate her play for the top post when executive council member Datuk Kamilia Ibrahim insisted that she would go for No 2. If the battle proceeds, Kamilia will win uncontested the No. 2 post.

Finally, after a prolonged delay and silence which kept Wanita members in suspense, Shahrizat announced she would vie for the leadership.

The deputy chief made just two short but powerful sentences in her press statement.

The first stated her confirmation that she was accepting the nomination and support to contest the post of Wanita Umno chief in March next year.

The second and last line read: "Wanita Umno must be united in strengthening the party and be brave in bringing change and renewal."

With the confirmation comes the end of intense speculation over the change of leadership between the two, which would have seen Rafidah giving way to Shahrizat in June.