Kim Beazley's hopes of being elected unopposed as federal opposition leader could be derailed, with Kevin Rudd firming as a surprisingly strong challenger. As the fallout continued from Mark Latham's dramatic resignation, Labor premiers also defended their actions in forcing a resolution to the leadership crisis. Factional heavyweights traded phone calls to shore up votes as Beazley supporters argued that for the sake of party unity, he should be the only candidate when Labor meets next week to choose a new leader.