Ed Miliband said Alex Salmond’s claim that he will help write Labour’s first budget will not happen “in a million years.
The Labour leader dismissed the former first minister’s assertion that the SNP will hold the balance of power after the general election as “bluster and bluff”.
In a speech in Clydebank, Mr Miliband said he can win a majority and it will be for other parties to decided whether to back Labour policies.
At the weekend Mr Salmond, who is standing in Gordon, said the most likely outcome of the election would be a minority Labour government supported by the SNP on a vote-by-vote arrangement.
He said Ed Balls would have to bow to SNP demands, such as scrapping Trident and SNP policies for investment, in exchange for SNP support.
Mr Miliband ruled out a coalition with the SNP as he accused Mr Salmond of stirring up mischief to sell his book.
He said: “Alex Salmond is at it again, and it’s a combination of bluster and bluff. I gather he has got a book to sell.
“I’ll tell you who is going to be writing the Labour budget, it’s me and Ed Balls. It’s not going to be Alex Salmond, not in a million years.”
Mr Miliband said he was pushing for a majority and added: “The only way that I am going to be the prime minister changing this country is if you vote Labour. That is the simple choice at this election.”
He claimed SNP plans for full fiscal autonomy would cost Scotland £7.6billion resulting in “huge cuts to the funding of health, education and policing” as well as other fundamental public services on which people rely.
Mr Miliband said Labour’s “balanced approach” to cutting the deficit would pay dividends for Scotland from policies such as the mansion tax, the bank levy and changes to pension tax relief for the highest earners.
SNP deputy leader Stewart Hosie said an SNP deal with Labour would come at a price, with more powers for Scotland and decommissioning nuclear weapons described as a starting point.
“A strong team of SNP MPs elected in May will always promote Scotland’s interests and never do a deal with the Tories – if Labour refused to work with us to lock David Cameron out of Downing Street, the people of Scotland would simply never forgive them,” he said.