JAMMU (PTI): Lieutenant General M V Suchindra Kumar on Monday assumed charge as the general officer commanding-in-chief of the Udhampur-based Northern Command of the Indian Army.

He succeeded Lt Gen. Upendra Dwivedi, who has assumed the charge of the vice chief of Army staff and is the front-runner to become the Army chief when incumbent General Manoj Pande retires on May 31.

"Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar assumed the command of #DhruvaCommand and paid homage to the #Bravehearts at #DhruvaWarMemorial.

"On assuming command, the #ArmyCommander exhorted all ranks to remain focused on operational preparedness and continue working with utmost zeal and enthusiasm," the Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI) of the Indian Army posted on X.

Lt Gen Dwivedi headed the Northern Command for more than two years after taking over its charge on February 1, 2022. He laid a wreath to honour the supreme sacrifice of the brave-hearts at the Dhruva War Memorial in Udhampur on relinquishing the command on Sunday.