 In 1991 Bendl entered the Civic Democratic Party and as the party's leader he was elected member of the Kladno city assembly in 1994 becoming mayor of the city immediately.Bendl was also vice-president of the Union of Cities and Municipalities of the Czech Republic in 1997–1998.In 1998 he was elected into the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic (resigned in 2001 due to his regional career) as well into the Kladno assembly and was thus replaced by Milan Volf as the new Kladno mayor, staying only in the city council until 2000.