Khamenei asks Revolutionary Guards to ensure his supporters election victory

London, Feb 27 (ANI): Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has asked the Revolutionary Guards to ensure that his Conservative Front wins the majority of seats in Friday's parliamentary seats at the expense of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's supporters.

The leaders of the Revolutionary Guards and the volunteer Basij militia were urged at a meeting called last week by Khamenei to use the same tactics employed during the controversial 2009 presidential election contest.

On that occasion widespread vote-rigging led to Ahmadinejad being elected to serve a second four year term, a result that produced nationwide anti-government protests, The Telegraph reports.

Khamenei has since fallen out with Ahmadinejad in a bitter dispute over the future role of the presidency in Iranian politics.

During the meeting, Khamenei repeatedly referred to the president's followers as the "deviant movement", and insisted that they take all necessary measures to prevent Ahmadinejad's followers from winning the elections.

Khamenei also warned that his supporters also needed to maintain a constant check on the activities of the leaders of Iran's Green Movement, Mir Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Kharroubi, who unsuccessfully stood against Mr Ahmadinejad in the 2009 presidential election, sources said.

Iran's parliamentary elections are taking place against a backdrop of mounting international pressure over Iran's controversial nuclear programme, the paper reports. (ANI)