Rafsanjani, who served as president from 1989 to 1997, is well-known for his economic expertise and political wisdom as well as muscles to carry out realistically mild reforms.

Under a picture of Iran's late revolutionary founder, Ayatollah Khomeini, supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, casts his ballot June 17. (Xinhua/AFP)

    He is also viewed as a pragmatist to counterattack the ascending conservatives in the country.

    However, the former president is lamed by his age of 71 and many negative rumors about his family members and disciples.

    Mostafa Moin, a radical 54-year old reformist challenging Rafsanjani, rocketed in the election after the Guardians Council at first disqualified him and then retracted the decision under Khamenei's order.

    Due to his westernized thinking and open stance, Moin has gained support of university students and a part of intellectuals.

Former Higher Education Minister Mostafa Moin casts his ballot. (AFP)

    However, Moin is deeply hated by hardliners and religious people, and the lip-servant image of the reformists left by the outgoing President Khatami will also damage his reputation.

    At the Haseyniyeh-ye-Ershad polling station in the north of Tehran, some senior citizens told Xinhua that Rafsanjani and Moin were widely expected to go to the runoff.

    Meanwhile, Qalibaf, 43, has successfully rebuilt the image of the Iranian police, which is his most appraised merit.

    During his term as the police chief, Qalibaf successfully metamorphosed the Iranian policemen from hardline gendarmes to kind public servants.

    He also revolutionized the composition of Iran's police by introducing the first group of policewomen since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Enditem