NICOLA Sturgeon has said she never takes elections for granted but is "quietly confident" of beating Anas Sarwar in the Glasgow Southside constituency.
The First Minister made the remark in an online briefing with political journalists today when she was asked about whether she regarded the Scottish Labour leader as a "formidable candidate".
"Possibly it's because of my early years' experience of fighting and losing elections, but I never treat an election as if it's in the bag or I am a dead cert winner," she said.
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"I always fight every election with the opposite mentality. I never ever take it for granted. As well as leading the national campaign and supporting other candidates I am spending as much time as I am able to in my own constituency.
"To be frank I haven't seen Anas around in the southside that much.
"So I don't think of it as who is a more formidable candidate than another, I think of it in terms of how do I persuade people to that I have got a good track record as their MSP and that I am worthy of their support."
She added: "Am I quietly confident? Yes. But I am taking it for granted? Absolutely not...After this call I am popping over to the constituency for an hour to do some door chapping.
"So I take nothing for granted. And the day, however long I am in politics from here on in, the day you ever see me take a constituency campaign for granted, is probably the day you should conclude I should give it up."
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The SNP leader beat the Labour candidate Fariha Thomas in the 2016 election by 15,287 to 5694 votes, with the Tories placed third and LibDems fourth. She also held the seat – later redrawn from Glasgow Govan – five years previously having taken it for the first time from Labour in 2007.
She was defeated in Glasgow Govan in both 2003 and 1999 when she first stood for election to Holyrood when the seat was won by Labour's Gordon Jackson – who acted as Alex Salmond defence QC at his criminal trial last year at which the former first minister was acquitted of all charges.
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