Kate Forbes has been forced to deny she is planning to oust Humza Yousaf as First Minister just weeks after the pair fought a bitter leadership contest.
The former finance secretary described reports that she and her supporters had formed a shadow government at Holyrood as "ridiculous".
It comes after an unnamed MSP described a group of Forbes supporters in the parliament as a "government in waiting" to the Sunday Times.
In a message on social media shared last night, she said: "I'd usually ignore articles with ‘sources’ purporting to speak for me and about me, but the latest coup piece is ridiculous.
"I’m busy enough - contributing to policy debates, supporting the party and working in the constituency."
She added: "I know people are desperate to see the SNP split and divided, but the challenges facing us as a country and a party require all of us to pull together. I speak for myself, and I’ve been consistent since the leadership contest: we must be united and focused on what matters."
Another source played down talk of a coup: "I think it istoo early. There is a feeling that Humza won’t last long but I think he will be there longer than they think.”
Forbes narrowly lost out to Yousaf in the SNP leadership contest which was triggered by the shock resignation of Nicola Sturgeon in February.
She set the race alight after she launched a brutal attack on her opponent's record as a government minister during the first televised leadership debate on STV.
Forbes pitched herself as a pro-business candidate who would would boost the country's stagnant economy.
But her campaign suffered a serious early set-back after she was repeatedly questioned about he conservative social views.
The Highland MSP, an evangelical Christian, admitted she would have voted against same-sex marriage if she had been an MSP at the time of the vote.
But she retains the support of a group of MSPs in the party who are concerned an on-going police investigation into its finances could seriously harm its electoral chances.
Operation Branchform led to the home shared by Sturgeon and her husband Peter Murrell, the former SNP chief executive, being searched by detectives over two days.
Murrell was arrested on April 6 and questioned for several hours before being released without charge.
Colin Beattie, the party's long-serving treasurer, was also arrested two weeks later before being released without charge.
Sturgeon told reporters last week that recent events had been "traumatic" for her but added she had not been questioned by detectives.
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