ALISTAIR Carmichael has said the Lib Dems will hold onto their 11 seats in Scotland at the general election - including Gordon where former First Minister Alex Salmond aims to return to Westminster.
The Scottish Secretary claimed for the former SNP leader was at odds with public opinion in the northeast of Scotland, an area where voters decisively rejected independence in last year's referendum.
He said the Lib Dems would claim credit for rebuilding the economy as part of the Coalition Government in the run-up to the general election.
In a newspaper interview yesterday he voiced confidence in the Lib Dems' prospects despite his party struggling in the polls.
An Guardian/ICM poll last weekend put support for the Lib Dems as six per cent, putting them on course to win just three seats in Scotland in May.
Bookmakers have made Mr Salmond the odds on favourite to take the Gordon seat held by the veteran Lib Dem deputy leader Sir Malcolm Bruce, who is stepping down at the election.
The Lib Dem candidate is Christine Jardine, a former journalist.
Mr Carmichael said: "On the doorstep, I think that Alex Salmond is now a much more divisive character than he ever was in the past.
"The referendum forced him to be on the wrong side of public opinion in the northeast and we've got a very good candidate in Christine Jardine.
"The message among anti-nationalist voters is already understood - that if you don't want Alex Salmond as your MP you have to vote for Christine Jardine and the Liberal Democrats.
"I'm not I betting man but ifI were I would be inclined to have a punt on us pulling off a surprise win there.
"It's a David and Goliath fight and I think that David might well pull off a victory again."
He added: "I think that we can hold all the seats that we have in Scotland."
Mr Carmichael, the MP for Orkney and Shetland, said the Liberal Democrats would claim credit for "rebuilding and rebalancing" the economy as part of the Coalition Government.
Yesterday Lib Dem MP Mike Crockart claimed his party had "recalibrated" the UK tax system in favour of people on low and middle incomes.
He highlighted parliamentary answers showing income tax collected from low and middle earners has from £3.2billion to £2.7billion since 2011.
Over the same period businesses contributed an extra £16billion thanks to efforts to stamp out tax avoidance.
He said: "In Government by themselves Labour would borrow too much, risking the economy, while the Conservatives would cut too much, threatening public services and sacrificing the poorest."
ends
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