MELAKA, Jan 24 — Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi expects the Melaka state election to be held within the next two to 10 months.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the deputy prime minister, said that with the short time left, Umno leaders in the state face a challenging task to defend their strong performance after securing more than three-quarters of the seats in the previous state election.