Mumbai, Aug. 26 -- The BJP on Monday appointed Ameet Satam, its three-term Andheri West MLA, as its Mumbai unit chief. Known for his aggressive, pro-Hindutva politics, the 49-year-old will lead the Mumbai BJP in the build-up to the crucial BMC elections, expected to be held in December or January. The party is hoping the appointment of Satam, who hails from the Konkan region, would help it cut into the support base of the Shiv Sena (UBT) among Konkani people in Mumbai. Maharashtra BJP chief Ravindra Chavan announced Satam's appointment on Monday, after the party's state unit got the nod from the central leadership. Picking a new Mumbai chief was on the cards after the incumbent, Ashish Shelar, was inducted into the state cabinet in December. Apart from Satam, former Borivali MLA Sunil Rane, 61, and legislative council member Pravin Darekar, 56, were the other leaders considered for the post. In the end, the BJP's central leadership preferred to go with the youngest among them. While Shelar is believed to have backed Satam, Fadnavis was insistent on Darekar, according to BJP leaders. "The central leadership picks party loyalists over those who have come from other parties when it comes to the organisational appointments, and this played in Satam's favour," said a senior BJP leader, requesting anonymity. Darekar was one of the founding members of Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, before switching over to the BJP in 2015. However, Fadnavis was all praise for Satam on Monday. "Ameet Satam is known for his aggressive and studious leadership, and has shouldered many organisational responsibilities. He is well aware of the Mumbai issues and knows how to implement innovative ideas. The Bharatiya Janata Party had emerged as the number one party in Mumbai in the assembly elections last year. I am sure we will break our own record (of 82 seats) registered in the 2017 civic elections in the city in the forthcoming elections," the chief minister said. Satam served as an executive assistant to former deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde in his early years in politics. After joining the BJP in 2000, he was appointed secretary of the Mumbai district youth wing in 2003. He was eventually promoted to the youth wing's president, after which he got an opportunity to contest the BMC elections in 2012. Satam won the polls, becoming one of the youngest corporators in the civic body. He was then picked to contest the 2014 assembly polls from Andheri West and won, riding on the Narendra Modi wave. In the two subsequent assembly polls, he retained his seat against the Congress's Ashok Jadhav. Satam said that along with infrastructure, mobility, and housing, the safety and security of Mumbaikars will be the top priority. "While Mumbai continues to develop, our focus will be on ensuring the well-being and protection of its citizens. We will work towards hoisting the Mahayuti's saffron flag atop the BMC and give a Mahayuti mayor in Mumbai's civic body," he said. However, Satam's brand of aggressive politics also has its detractors within the party. "His aggression tilts towards arrogance, which has hurt many party workers in the city unit. He had stirred a controversy by beating up a hawker in Andheri, which led to a protest by hawkers. He targets officials from the BMC and the government for corruption, but the issue is never taken to the logical end. This has dented his image, but a section of the party leadership feels that a leader like him is a perfect choice to take on opponents like leaders from the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS, given the battle for BMC is expected to be fierce," said a BJP leader....