What is the OP talking about? How exchanges can list BU as an altcoin if there is no HardFork?
No, what will happen is this. In the event that Bitcoin forks into BTCcore and BTC unlimited. BU will be considered an alt (by default) by exchanges. But if the network moves toward BU and it becomes the longest/strongest/most secure chain, BU will be bitcoin and BTC core will be the alt. Exchanges have ZERO control outside of their "word".
The exchanges lay claim to play god over what is the true Bitcoin? Exchanges have no say and anything they say is only to sway the market in their best interests (higher prices with no fork). It is a manipulation attempt. If they can be heard by the majority (read majority of the money) then they profit. If we fork, BTC tanks, and their profits go down the hole for some time until confidence is restored.
The two branches will have different consensus - length between them is not that easy to compare, it is not like oridinary two branches of blockchain that comply to the same protocol. The name is contentious thing, your argument only shows that the drama will be high.
And by they way you did not answer my question at all. The title of this thread is nonsense - if there are two branches then there was a HardFork.
Oh, ha, I guess I misread your questions, because I didn't even catch the contradiction when you worded it like that.
Also, I agree it will be a battle, and the way I read the "Contingency plan" was that it could be weeks or maybe months to actually confidently name the winning branch based on network/market forces.